


To be Human

by Quietshade



Series: Lucasverse [6]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, F/M, Family Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Matt Murdock/Elektra Natchios, Weapon X Project
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2019-10-21 09:07:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17639864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quietshade/pseuds/Quietshade
Summary: Elektra visits with an offer they can't refuse and, as usual, things start to spiral out of control.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wahahaha, the big arc is finally here. 
> 
> This happens the morning after Violet Sky.
> 
> A few words of warning before we jump into the story:
> 
> -The rating might be subject to change. There will be violence and some upsetting things later in this story. I just don't know how graphic I'll make it.
> 
> -This is an Elektra heavy story, so you'll definitely need to have at least a tolerance for her. (If that's not your thing feel free to skip this one, although a lot will happen here.)
> 
> -Some basic knowledge about Wolverine's origin could be useful for understanding the plot (as you might have guessed from the tags). It's not necessary as I'll try to explain everything here, but if you find yourself lost you can look into that. Of course I'm always happy to answer questions too.

Matt yawned and rubbed his face tiredly when Lucas’ happy giggles woke him up. He let out a small breath in frustration. Not that he minded attending Lucas but he'd hoped to get at least a minute or two alone with his wife that morning.

He rolled on his side to kiss Karen's naked shoulder and smiled against her skin when she sighed happily. Wanting to enjoy her scent for a bit longer, he nuzzled the back of her neck and started dropping kisses on it. Then Lucas giggled again and he froze in panic. It was very soft, but he could hear a second person breathing in his room.

His son wasn’t alone.

Matt cursed and jumped out of the bed, grabbing his pants from the floor in the process. Karen made a noise at his brusque departure but didn't wake up. He crossed the distance between the rooms, both grateful that the soundproofing would keep the intruder from noticing him, and annoyed that he hadn't noticed the intruder because of it. He took a deep breath, his eyes going dead with determination, before he opened the door, ready to knock out whoever had dared break into his home.

“Elektra.” He sighed in relief and lowered his guard.

“Hello Matthew,” she greeted with her usual cheerful smugness. It was her one trait that remained unfazed by time and trauma. A trait Matt had come to appreciate after her death, a small reminder of the light inside her.

She was leaning against the wall, waving a cat teaser at Lucas, who was trying to catch it with his chubby hands.

“Stop that,”  he said as he approached his son’s crib.

“Why? He likes it.” Lucas caught the lure in his left hand with a happy laugh, his movement far too precise for a child his age. “See? Excellent reflexes too,” she noted in approval. “He'll be a force to reckon if he follows in your footsteps.”

Matt clenched his fist, before picking up his son. “He won't,” he said with certainty he didn't feel.

It was easier now to understand his father's insistence about him not fighting. Just thinking of Lucas following the vigilante path made him nervous. If he could have any say on it his son would never have to bloody his fists.

“But that’s not your choice, is it, Matthew?” He gave her a dry look.

Leave it to Elektra to pick on his deepest fear two minutes after she’d come back. She always had a sixth sense for that. Neither Karen nor Foggy had ever been as good as her at reading him. It was one of the reasons he'd fallen so hard for her, but now it mostly made him feel vulnerable.

“What do you want, Elektra?”

“I don't always visit when I need something.” He huffed and raised his eyebrows at her. “Okay, so maybe I do.” She waved the lure at Lucas, who leaned forward in his father's arms, eager to keep playing. “But not this time. I'm here with an offer.”

Matt grabbed the teaser to stop her, and Lucas made a small angry sound. He wasn't really helping his case. “What kind of offer?”

He was a little afraid to ask. She had been gone for two years. Whatever had brought her back to New York had to be big.

“The kind that saves lives.”

Matt opened his mouth to reply but Lucas started wiggling in his grasp. “Anana.”

Matt licked his lips and adjusted his hold on him. “Let’s discuss this over breakfast.”

She smirked. “Are you offering to feed me, Matthew?”

“I'm offering you a meal with my family,” he answered simply, and left the room before she could reply.

Karen was still sleeping when he returned to his room. Her soft breathing and heartbeat were the most pleasant lullaby for Matt's ears. He wanted to do nothing more than to crawl back under the covers and spend the rest of the morning with her. Life had very different plans for him. Matt sighed and dropped Lucas on the bed.

“We have company,” he whispered against her ear before kissing her cheek lightly. Karen yawned, a smile tugged her lips when she turned to blink sleepily at Lucas.

“Hello sweetie.” Their son laughed as she tickled him.

Matt closed his eyes, enjoying the moment of peace and joy among his family. If he knew Elektra at all he wouldn’t have those for a while. He took a clean t-shirt for himself and a sleeping gown for Karen from the drawer. Karen raised her eyebrows in surprise when he passed her the gown.

“Wait, you meant actual company?”

“Yeah, Elektra is here.”

“Did something happen?” she asked, her surprise turning into concern.

“Apparently.”

Karen sighed and she put on the gown, before picking Lucas up.

Elektra was waiting for them at the kitchen island when they came out of the room. She smiled at Karen the moment she spotted her. “Hello Karen.”

“Elektra,” she answered with a polite nod.

Despite always wearing her heart on her sleeve, Karen was incredibly good at hiding her emotions when she wanted to. It had taken him time to learn how to read beyond what she wanted people to see. Right then, he could sense the tension behind her calm facade. She was weary of Elektra's presence. She usually was.

The two of them were in friendly terms, but that didn't mean they were open to each other. Karen dealt with Elektra as she did with clients, politely and distant. Elektra, on the other hand, seemed happy to engage her whenever she could, but Matt knew that was a mask too. They'd both made peace with their feelings years ago, but he didn't know if she blamed Karen in any way. He didn't think she did, but he didn't have the courage to talk to her about it.

Lucas wiggled to get out of his mother's grip and Karen put him down.

“Really, Luc?” she asked, when he ran to Elektra. Her tone was playful but Matt could discern some pain in it too.

And that was the one part he hated about Elektra's visits. Even after all those years together Karen felt insecure of her place with him, and that showed each time she was with Elektra. He didn't know how to fix it, or even if he could, no amount of reassurance seemed to work. It was probably one of those things they would have to learn to live with.

Lucas looked back at his mother and cocked his head in confusion, then he turned back to Elektra ready to play some more.

“Traitor,” she muttered.

Matt chuckled and kissed her temple in reassurance. “She bribed him with a cat teaser.”

“You're worth more than a cat toy, Lucas.” Karen’s voice was more cheerful after Matt's small gesture. She caressed the hand he'd placed on her shoulder, and gave him a happy smile.

“I don't know. It's a pretty lure,” Elektra said, waving the teaser at the overjoyed Lucas. “If anything the kid has good taste. Not as much of a simpleton as Matty Junior. Too bad there's no sweet little Ellie to accompany him.”

Matt choked at the comment.

Elektra was hitting every nerve that morning. They hadn't talked about having more children. He would love to have a girl with Karen's features, since Lucas had inherited his, but they had no idea if a second child would inherit his powers too. He didn't think they could survive that. He was even scared of bringing it up, the scars from Lucas’ first month were still too fresh in his heart. He was sure the same was true for Karen.

“Matty Jr. and little Ellie?” Karen asked turning to him with a raised eyebrow. Matt cleared his throat awkwardly and tried to give her his best ‘please don't ask’ face as he made his way to the kitchen.

Karen gave him an amused look before asking Elektra “So… what brings you back to New York?”

“Project X,” Elektra said casually, still waving the lure at Lucas.

Matt stomach dropped, and the scars on his back flared at the memory of metal claws slicing through his skin. He wasn't the only one affected. Karen's heart speeded up and started beating erratically.

His parents’ abrupt reaction made Lucas stop playing with the lure. He looked at Karen with curious eyes, as if trying to figure out what had just happened. Whatever conclusion he came to made him walk towards his mother with raised arms.

Karen brought him into a loose hug and kissed the side of his face. He answered by resting his head against her shoulder and bringing his thumb to his mouth, seemingly happy to let her hold him.

Her heartbeat calmed down after that, and she finally replied. “It was shut down.”

“On the government side maybe.” Elektra leaned back on the chair. “But I have reasons to believe a private company continued the project.”

“What kind of reasons?” Matt asked. He grabbed the oatmeal and some eggs from the pantry, trying to keep the memories of the project away.

Elektra took her phone and looked for something in it before handing it to Karen. “See for yourself.”

Karen accepted the phone, moving it away from Lucas when he tried to grab it. “Subject presents a healing factor inferior to original. Proceeding with the adamantium bonding not recommended,” Karen read out loud for Matt.

“Signed by Dr Marcus Green, who happens to be a lead scientist at Transigen, a minor development branch of the Alkali pharmaceutical.”

Matt paused beating the eggs. “Where did you get that?”

“Following a lead,” she replied with a small shrug and a smirk. Matt let out long sigh, and resisted the urge to rub his face in frustration. He knew she was teasing him, but he couldn't help feeling annoyed anyway.

Thankfully Karen interjected. “How? I thought we got everyone involved behind bars.”

“Not everyone. The Canadian government had hands in this too.”

Karen's eyes widened in surprised. "We didn't find anything linking then to Project X in the initial report.”

“Because they're good at hiding their track. Too bad for them, they couldn't get rid of the biggest piece of evidence.”

Matt frowned. “Which is?”

Elektra looked at him, her cheerfulness suddenly gone. “The subject himself. Experiment X. He was a volunteer from the Canadian military.”

“Really?” Karen asked incredulously. “How do you know that? I thought they'd destroyed all his files.”

“They did,” Elektra answered. “But you don't need the files if you ask the man himself.”

“Wait, you found him?” he asked in shock. He couldn't believe she'd even tried to look for him, considering how he’d almost killed them during their first meeting.

“I did.”

“And you talked to this lunatic?” Karen asked.

“He's not a lunatic.” Elektra snapped, her eyes going dark for a moment. Karen flinched at her tone, and Lucas made an angry noise and raised his head to glare at Elektra.

She looked away, her expression guarded. “He was defending himself when he attacked us. He asked me to apologize in his behalf.”

There was a vulnerability in Elektra's voice that he'd heard only a few times. She cared for this man, Matt could sense that much, and that was very rare in her. She was always so guarded with her affection. He wondered if it was all linked to her apparent obsession with Project X.

Karen rubbed Lucas’ back softly, until he lied back down. “Sorry.” she apologized, probably sensing that she'd stepped on a landmine.

“Anyway. We’ve been working together trying to find the remnants of project X for the last two years. That’s how I know all this.”

“So that's where you have been all this time.” Matt commented.

“Is that jealousy I hear, Matthew?” Elektra teased, and Matt scoffed and turned back to the stove.

“I think it’s time I invest in the pharmaceutical industry, which reminds me.” She smirked. “I offer you my total cooperation and a healthy sum of money if you take this case.”

Matt turned his head to Karen, and she looked down in a sign of defeat. He could tell she wasn't happy about Elektra's request, but they didn't have much of a choice. If someone was trying to continue Project X they needed to stop it. They hadn't walked away from it five years ago, they sure as hell wouldn't do it now.

Matt turned off the stove and served the breakfast before he replied to Elektra. “Alright, but you better tell me everything you know.”

“Great! We have a meeting with the board in two hours. I'll tell you everything on the way there.”

Matt laughed incredulously. “We've talked about this, Elektra. You can't just come at any time and expect me to drop everything. Reschedule the meeting for tomorrow.”

She frowned at him. “I can't, and even if I could I wouldn't. They should know by now that someone is looking into them. Every second we waste is an opportunity for them to destroy the files and move the equipment. You either join now or never.”

Matt clenched his fist in frustration. Elektra was right, but he hated having to prioritize Daredevil over his family. Nothing good had ever come out of that. Still he couldn't just turn his back to this.

“Hey. It's alright,” Karen said. “I'll stay with Lucas, and Foggy can handle today's work with one of the interns."

“Karen…”

Her face softened. “We won't go away because you take a day to save the city.”

He swallowed, overwhelmed by emotions for a brief moment. They had come a long way since the days he was letting her believe he was an alcoholic. “Thanks.”

“Problem solved,” Elektra interrupted their small moment. “Now go get dressed, and wear something nice.”

Matt sighed in defeat, and made his way to the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

Karen sat Lucas on his highchair before putting the banana oatmeal in front of him. He immediately grabbed a handful of it and brought it to his mouth, spilling some on his cheek and clothes. Elektra crinkled her nose at the mess, and went back to eating her own breakfast.

Karen tried to clean Lucas’ cheek before the oatmeal dried, and he got uncomfortable. The toddler moved his face away and protested, trying to get another handful of the oatmeal. “Lucas, stop.”

“You should get a nanny.”

“We can't,” Karen said, annoyed at Lucas for making things hard, and at Elektra for meddling.

“Because of his abilities?”

Karen froze, her eyes wide in shock. “How did you...”

“Oh, come on. It's not that hard. The apartment is completely soundproofed, and I know that's not for Matt's sake. Not to mention his cat like reflexes, and constant flinching at loud noises. As I told Matt. He'll make for an excellent fighter.”

Karen looked at Lucas who looked up at her, noticing her sudden change in mood. He smiled and offered her a handful of his oatmeal.

“Anana.” Karen laughed, kissed his brow softly and, finally,  managed to clean his face.

“Maybe,” Karen admitted, as she gave Lucas his spoon. “If that's what he wants.”

“You don't mind if he follows in Matt's footsteps?” Elektra asked in surprise.

“I worry, a lot, if that's what you're asking, and I hope he takes a less dangerous path. But I'm not stopping him, if that’s where his heart is.”

“Maybe, you aren't as boring as I thought.” Elektra hummed. “I ought to give Matthew more credit.”

Karen shook her head and tried not to smile. She had to admit, Elektra's dark humor was growing on her.

They were almost done eating by the time Matt rejoined, looking pristine in his suit. “Let's go.”

Elektra took a last bite before jumping out of her seat.

“Your cooking has improved,” she commented in approval and turned to Karen. “You're very lucky. There was a time when he would have burned water if he tried. In fact, he almost burned my penthouse once.”

“Because you kept distracting me.”

“Umhu, don't pin your shitty cooking skills on me, Murdock.”

Matt rolled his eyes at her and made his way to Karen. “I’ll try to be back by lunch.”

Karen gave him a forced smile, trying and failing not to think about all the things Elektra knew that she didn't. “It's alright, just call me whenever you're done.”

“I will.” He peeked her on the lips and turned to their son.

Lucas looked up from his oatmeal, sensing his father's attention. “Love you, Luc.” Matt kissed the top of his head. It only took Lucas a short moment to realize Matt was leaving.

“Dada!” he shrieked and tried to climb out of the chair.

“No, Lucas!” Karen had just started moving when his small hand landed on the oatmeal bowl, tilting it and sending the food flying to himself.

Karen closed her eyes and sighed. He normally didn't mind when they left for work, but he was a Swiss clock when it came to their schedule. If either of them were late from work, or if they didn't spend the regular amount of time with him, he would throw a tantrum. Matt told her it was because their scent would get weaker with time and that bothered him.

When she opened her eyes, Lucas was looking at her with a pout and teary eyes, as if saying it wasn't his fault. The next second he started crying.

“You really need a nanny,” Elektra commented, unimpressed by the whole mess.

“Here.” Matt offered her the baby wipes he had graciously retrieved from the room.

“Thanks.” She took Lucas from his chair and started cleaning him. Matt leaned in to kiss them a last time. Lucas took the opportunity to reach out for him and Karen had to stop him before he got a sticky hand on Matt's suit.

“I'll be back soon,” he promised, and turned back to Elektra, nodding towards the door.

“Thanks for the food,” Elektra said, already making her way to the door. “It was nice meeting you, Lucas!”

Karen waved at them until they left the apartment. She looked down at her crying son as soon as they were alone. “Say, Lucas.”

The toddler looked up at the mention of his name. “Dada,” he sobbed with fat tears.

She whipped away his tears with one hand and smiled at him. “What do you think of helping Mom investigate today?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen and Matt move forward with their respective investigations.

Lucas was laying on Matt's side of the bed in his diaper, babbling in sync with the kid song Karen had playing for him on her phone. She had just bathed him, after a failed attempt to get all the oatmeal off him. His wet hair was sticking to his forehead in a way that reminded her so much of Matt. The sight would usually make Karen go all soft and happy. Unfortunately, she was trying really hard not to think about Matt that morning.

Her son's blue eyes followed her when she approached him with his clothes. He smiled and lifted a hand towards her. “Nana.”

Karen grabbed his chubby hand and bit at it playfully. The sound of Lucas cheerful giggles easened her heart a little.

“Are you ready for today's adventures, Luc?” she asked and blew a raspberry on his tummy, making him squealed in delight. “That's what I thought.”

Dragging Lucas around while she investigated wasn't what she had in mind for the day. She’d planned to go to the office for a few hours, to help Foggy, before starting the investigation on the Cambodian girl Frank had rescued. But knowing Lucas, and more importantly Foggy, they would just be a distraction in the office.

Speaking of which…

Karen grabbed her phone from the nightstand and dialed Foggy's number. Lucas whined when his music stopped and crawled towards her. She held the phone with her shoulder, and lifted the unhappy Lucas upright so she could dress him before he got cold.

“Sup, Karen?” Foggy answered after two rings.

“Ogy.” Lucas babbled.

“Hey.” She greeted and moved Lucas’ hand away, when he tried to grab the phone. “Sorry Foggy. I can't come to the office today.”

“Why? Is everything alright? Did something happen to the little guy?”

“No, no. Everything is fine. It's ju- Lucas, no!” She stopped her son from jumping down the bed. Lucas protested and started wiggling when she made him to lay back down. “Matt can't look after him today.”

“Why? Details Karen!”

“I want to see you give details while dressing a toddler!” Karen complained as she struggled to button the pants on the moving Lucas.

“Fair enough.” Foggy laughed. “Now, what's wrong with Matt?”

“He's with Elektra.”

She heard Foggy take a long breath on the other side of the line. “No, no, no. Damn it! What happened this time?”

Karen took a moment to reply, satisfied she'd finished dressing Lucas. Her son wasn't so satisfied about it. He flopped down on the bed and started whimpering with his right index finger in his mouth. She chuckled. He wasn't very fond of clothes.

“I have something to do first, but I'll pass by the office and explain everything, okay?”

Foggy sighed. “Okay. Should I alert the others? Since we both know Matt won't.”

Karen bit her lip. She wanted to say no, but Matt almost died the last time they faced Project X. She still had nightmares about him bleeding out on Foggy's dining table. If they were facing that again, they would need all the help they could get. Then again, she didn't want to step on Matt's plans. “I don't know, Foggy. I don't think they're expecting trouble this morning… but you never know with those two.”

Another sigh. “You tell me. Just… let me know if anything happens, alright?”

“I will.”

“And Karen?”

“Yeah?”

“Don't worry too much about it. He'll be back soon.”

Karen let out a nervous laugh.

Was she so obvious?

No matter how hard she tried, Elektra always brought to her mind the events during Frank's trial and Matt's subsequent disappearance. She'd forgiven him for everything a long time ago, but those wounds had left a nasty scar on her soul. She knew Matt wouldn't disappear just because Elektra was there, still she couldn't help worrying about it.

“Thanks, Fog.”

“My pleasure. And give that cute little godson of mine some kisses, please.”

Karen shook her head, a smile on her lips. “Bye, Foggy.” She ended the call and was about to put down the phone when she noticed an email notification.

It was a reply to an email she'd sent the previous afternoon, when she'd been investigating about Lucas’ vision. Her search for information had led her to a shady forum that talked about the recent rise of super powered individuals. There'd been a lot of crazy talk in it, but one user had caught her attention. Doc DB. They'd brought up an interesting theory regarding the genetics behind it.

For all the things he could do, Matt knew almost nothing of how his abilities worked on a biological level. Hell, they didn't even know if Lucas was a one time miracle or if all their children would inherit his powers. Not that she thought having more children after Lucas was a good idea. They would never have enough time to dedicate to another child.

Karen needed to know more about their power.

She had to make sure Lucas and Matt wouldn't have some unforeseen health problem down the road. Half of the times she didn't know if Lucas’ development was within normal range, and she was scared to death of asking his doctor or other parents about it. That's why she'd asked Doc DB more questions about his theory, because she needed all the information she could get.

“Nana.” Lucas said, seemingly done with his tantrum. He stood clumsily on the bed with unsteady legs, and Karen picked him up before he could fall.

“Don’t worry, mommy will take care of you.” She told him with a kiss, right before starting to read the email.

\--

The Alkali group headquarters was located in a New Jersey township an hour away from the city. Matt's senses were in high alert the moment their car crossed the front gate. The main building was located near the center of the campus, with two other smaller buildings scattered around. They were all buzzing with activity. He could hear footsteps, voices and all kind of electronic devices all around him.

“Do you sense anything interesting?”

Matt pursed his lips together. “It's hard to tell from here. There's too much buzz.”

Elektra hummed and turned her gaze to the window. “You'll have your chance.”

Her mood had been dark since they left the house. There was something on her mind, and he didn't know how to breach the subject. Elektra had never been closed with her thoughts and feelings, but there was something about Project X that bothered her. He'd led it slide five years ago, thinking it would go away once they were done. Now it was obvious it hadn't.

“E-” he started, with all intentions of tackling the problem, but then the car stopped.

“Come on.” She patted his arm. “Time to charm some snobs.”

Matt pressed his lips together, and shoved the matter to the back of his mind for the moment.

The door on Elektra's side opened. She left the car with an elegance that hadn't been there a moment ago. Matt on the other hand was awkward as he came out of the limousine. He muttered a quick thanks to the chauffeur and let Elektra guide him inside the building.

He was so out of his element.

“Does it really need to be so conspicuous?” 

“That’s the thing Matthew. We want their attention.” Even her voice had a playful and charming tone now.

Matt didn't have an answer for that, she was right even if he didn't like it, so he concentrated on their surrounding instead. He sensed beyond the mundane sounds and smells of the office life and tried to find the oddities hidden underneath. He cocked his head to the side, his lips twitching up in a smile, when he found what he was looking for.

“What is it?” Elektra whispered, leaning a little onto him so she could hear his reply.

Matt licked his lips. He still wasn't used to the way she smelled now. It had taken him some time to stop thinking of it as wrong and to start thinking of it as new. Still, it mostly made him miss her old scent and heartbeat, the ones he'd loved so much, but most of all it made him yearn for his wife's.

“There’s an underground tunnel connecting the main building to one of the secondary ones.” he answered.

“Can you tell what's inside?”

“No, it's sealed.”

“Sounds interesting.” She winked at him and turned to the receptionist as they approached her desk. “Elektra Natchios. We have a meeting with the board in…” she looked at her watch. “five minutes.”

The receptionist gave her a blank look before grabbing a phone to announce her presence to someone. “One moment Miss Natchios.”

“Thank you.” Elektra answered with a small nod, and then turned to face Matt.

“Two armed guards to your left. Another two outside. Three right underneath us with military grade equipment.” he commented as he adjusted his tie.

“That's a lot of security for a pharmaceutical office.”

It really was. If he hadn't been suspicious before he surely was now. Armed guards aside, there was nothing unusual happening on the ground level. The basement level was another matter. He still couldn't sense more than a small part of it. Whatever was down there they wanted to keep hidden.

“Miss Natchios?” he blinked at the voice of the newcomer. They both turned to face the woman, Elektra with a smile, Matt with a blank expression. “Sorry for the wait. If you could please come with me.”

Elektra took his arm and led him through the corridors while he concentrated on making a mental map of the place. The woman took them all the way to the back of the building, into a large conference room full of people.

“Thank you, Nora.” A soft spoken man said to the woman, who left right after that. He then turned to Elektra. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Natchios.”

Elektra offered him her hand with he shook with both of his. “You must be Mr Rice.”

“Correct, my dear.” Matt felt his gaze shift from Elektra to him. “And who might the gentleman be?”

“My lawyer.”

“Matt Murdock.” He offered him his hand.

Rice took it with a smile. “Zander Rice. Head of the research department and vice president of the company. A pleasure.” There was something off about Rice. Matt couldn't quite place what, maybe it was the way he smelled, his tight grip, or the tone of his voice. Maybe it was all of it. “Come, let me introduce you to the rest of the board.”

“Isn't Mr Sutter joining us today?” Elektra asked, retaking Matt's arm.

“He's out of the country this week, but he sends his regards. He was really looking forward to meeting you.”

“Another time then.” Matt resisted the urge to sigh, as he joined Elektra into charming every person in the room.

It would be a long morning.

\--

The precinct was especially crowded that morning. Some cops were handling a group of young men, most of which looked like they had just taken a bad beat. There was a lot of shouting going around and one, very annoying, phone ringing somewhere.

Karen was glad she’d decided to put the earmuffs on Lucas for the visit. He was, so far, being a good boy in the carrier, Just looking around curiously while he sucked his pacifier. She made her way to Brett's desk, doing her best not to get them squeezed among the crowd. Brett looked up with raised eyebrows the moment he spotted her.

“Page,” he said with a hint of amusement. He put down his cup and looked at Lucas. “And mini Murdock.”

“Good morning, Detective.” Karen greeted with a smile, wanting to appeal to his good side. She looked back at the group of people near the entrance. “Did something happen?”

“Some gang fight. You know. The usual.” He said in a fed up tone. “How can I help you two today?”

Karen leaned closer to the desk. “I’m working on something about the kidnapped Cambodian girl they found last week. I thought you could help me get some information.”

Brett frowned. “An article for the bulletin?” She still wrote articles for the bulletin, as a freelancer, from time to time. Mostly when Ellison insisted or whenever something got her interest.

Karen shook her head. “Something else.”

Brett walked around his desk and grabbed her aside. “This better not be about Castle.”

It was a little funny that Brett associated her with Frank. Not that it was surprising, considering her involvement with him during and after the trial. But it would never cease to amuse her how she wasn't associated in the same way with her husband's alter ego. The sad part was that Brett was right this time.

“Let’s say I have a client that's interested in the case.”

Brett rubbed his forehead as if trying to soothe a headache. “Well, tell your client they're out of luck. Even if I wanted to help, that's not within our jurisdiction.”

Karen blocked him when he tried to go back to his desk. “But you can get me to the people who have the jurisdiction.”

Brett put his hands on his hip and creased his eyebrows, looking ready to lecture her. He opened his mouth, then closed it and looked down in surprise. Karen followed his gaze and blushed when she realized Lucas had grabbed his police badge.

“Sorry!” She tried to pry Lucas’ hands away from the badge, but he had a surprisingly strong grip. “Come on, Luc. Let go.”

“It's fine.” Brett said, stopping her with a hand. He kneeled down to the toddler's level. “You like the badge, kid?” he chuckled when Lucas blinked at him and sucked his pacifier. He took off his cap and put it on the the toddler's head. Finally, Lucas let go of the badge in favor of grabbing the cap. “Maybe you'll be the one to come to the right side of the law.”

Karen did her best to hide her grin. Brett was always complaining, but underneath all the grumpiness he was a big softie when it came to the three of them. It was almost natural that he would have a soft spot for Lucas too.

“Look, I'm not asking for charity.” She told him, searching the baby bag for the file Frank had given her. “I have information that I'm willing to share.” Brett stood up with a frown, and Karen pulled the file back when he tried to grab it. “Ah, but you said it isn't within your jurisdiction.”

Brett rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I swear you three will be the death of me.” He walked back to his desk and got a small NYPD sticker from it. He gave the sticker to the curious Lucas before retrieving cap from him. “I'll see what I can get you. No promises.”

“Thank you, detective!”

Brett clicked his tongue and shook his head all the way back to his desk. “Have a good day, Page.”

Karen adjusted her son in the carrier. Lucas was busy frowning at the sticker, in that serious -I'm a Murdock- manner, as if he couldn't decide whether he liked it or not. She kissed his cheek gently, making him giggle and smile up at her.

“Good job softening him, Luc.” She whispered more for herself than for him. His Murdock charm had definitely come in handy this time. “Now, let's go see uncle Foggy.”

\--

Lucas was asleep five minutes after they'd left the precinct. That worked perfectly in Karen's favor, who was in dire need of caffeine. If there was one thing she lamented about Lucas, it was his apparent hate for coffee. Her son couldn't smell it without getting irritated, so much was his hate that he would refuse any kisses for hours after she'd drunk coffee. It was exasperating. Her coffee breaks had become a luxury since his birth. That meant she had to take the opportunity whenever she could, and that was exactly what Karen did. She stopped for coffee on the way to the office.

They were just coming out of the coffee shop, when her phone started ringing. She juggled the cup of coffee, as she tried to get her phone from the baby bag without waking up the napping Lucas. A big smile appeared on her lips the moment she saw her husband's face on the screen.

“Hey.” She answered.

“Hey.” Karen just melted a little at the sound of his voice. It was good to know he was alright and hadn't disappeared into thin air.

“How are you? Did the meeting go well?”

“I’m good. On my way back, actually. And the meeting was… interesting.” Which meant boring. As smooth and charming as Matt could be, he actually had very little patience for overly bureaucratic and redundant meetings. “Is that Lucas I hear?”

Karen smiled and dropped a kiss on her son's messy hair, the last she would probably get in a couple of hours. “Yeah, he's taking his nap now.”

“Was he being difficult this morning?”

“A little. He really missed you.” She licked her lips, feeling giddy despite their years together. “We both did.”

Matt let out a small laugh and whispered tenderly “I do too, a lot.”

Karen stomach flipped and she bit a smile, cursing that he wasn't there so she could get a hug and a kiss from him.

“Anyway, Indian for lunch?”

“Sure.” Karen cleared her throat nervously. “Is Elektra joining us?”

She was more relieved than she wanted to admit when Matt said “No,” But then he had to add. “She's busy preparing for tonight.”

Karen frowned. “Tonight? What's happening tonight?”

“Ah, It's a long story. We'll talk about it during lunch.” Her stomach flipped again, with worry this time. That sentence usually meant trouble coming from Matt.

“Alright.” She tried to sound neutral, but her voice still came out dripping with worry and disappointment.

“Karen-”

“I’m, um, meeting Foggy soon.” Karen interrupted him. The last thing she wanted was to talk about her worries with him right now. “Do you want us to alert the others?”

“No, we should be fine on our own.” Karen could tell he was unhappy with her change of subject.

“Then… I'll see you for lunch.”

There was a small silence in which Karen wondered if he'd hung up on her, then he said. “Kiss Lucas for me.” She was about to promise she would when he continued. “Karen, I love you.”

There was a hint of desperation in his voice, as if he was begging her to believe him. Her eyes watered, and she let out a shaky breath. Matt was always so reserved when it came to voicing his feelings, that the moments when he did were always especial and perfect. Just like that one.

She hadn't known how much she needed to hear that until he'd said it.

“I know.” She reassured him. “I love you too.”

He let out a relieved laugh. “See you soon.”

“Bye.”

Karen ended the call and let out a sigh. She really, really, hoped her worry was unfounded. All she wished was for things to be solved quickly and painlessly. But Matt and Elektra didn't have the best record when it came to keeping out of trouble, especially when they were together…

The distinctive icon of an email notification stopped her train of thought. She hadn't expected to receive a reply to her morning email so soon, and yet there it was.

Doc DB's first email had been much more than she'd expected. They had answered all the questions she'd asked, in a simple but meaningful way. Karen was positive they must be in the biology field, probably a geneticist. Either way, she was interested, so she'd thrown them a bait. A reply touching on the possibility of the superpowers harming the host, using Lucas powers as an example. She was really hoping they would give her some insightful information.

Her excitement died as soon as she opened the email.

There was only one sentence and an attached photo inside the email.

Let's meet, Mrs Murdock.

Karen's heart dropped in fear, and she hesitated before opening the photo, already fearing the worst. Her eyes widened at the image that appeared on her screen.

“No way...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😁 can anyone guess who Doc DB is?
> 
> As always so many thanks to everyone who commented. You guys keep me going!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt and Elektra have an overdue conversation.  
> Foggy just wants to avoid the craziness.

Matt put his cellphone back in his pocket with a foolish grin. He was already counting down the minutes for lunch. It'd become harder to be away from her since her pregnancy. He trusted Karen to take care of herself, but the fear that something would happen to her, and their son, was always there.

Not only that, in the deepest part of his soul he also harbored the fear that they would would leave if he took too long to return. That's why each one of Karen's “I love you” was a treasure. They were the sweetest reminder that, despite his best efforts, he wasn't alone anymore. He had a home now, and a family waiting for him there.

“Don't _you_ have to do any preparations for tonight?” Elektra asked bringing him back to the present.

Right, the mission.

Matt cleared his throat awkwardly, knowing that Elektra had heard his love confession. “No. I have everything I need,” he paused. “Well, almost everything. We need to arrange transportation.”

“I have it covered,” she answered waving her hand in dismissal. Her gaze was fixed on the street beyond the limousine’s window much like it had been before. Elektra was back to her puzzling dark mood. The charming lady that had enchanted the Alkali's board had stayed in the conference room.

“I hope it's nothing as flashy as this,” he said playfully, trying the get her to look at him.

Elektra took the bait and, finally, turned to him with a small smirk. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Matt smiled back, happy he’d managed to cheer her up a little. It was good to know he still could do that much for her, seeing her so troubled hurt. Even if their path had drifted apart, he wished for her to find some peace and happiness. Which she obviously didn't have at the moment.

“I've been meaning to ask you...” Elektra raised an eyebrow in question. “Why do you care so much? About this. About Project X.”

“I told you-”

“That you want to get rid of everything the Hand touched. Yeah, I remember,” he interrupted her. That had been her answer to a similar question five years ago. “But I know you, Elektra. You won't go this length without it being personal. This isn't just about the Hand is it?”

Her smile turned sardonic. “What else would it be about?”

Matt pressed his lips together into a thin line. So she wanted to play that game? They might not be as close as they once were, but he knew her. He knew her heart. That wouldn't change with time.

“I think meeting the exp- Logan changed how you feel about all this, and this is no longer about stopping one of the Hand's pet projects,” he corrected himself last minute, remembering the name Elektra had given him. “I think you want to save these people, and you're scared you won't get to them in time again.”

Her shoulders tensed, and her tone took a darker note. “What do you want me to say, Matthew? That you were right? Yes, killing him would have been a mistake, and no, I won't let them do that to anyone else.”

It took him a moment to realize she was referring to their conversation right before Logan had attacked them. She'd been hell-bent on killing him back then, and as usual Matt'd tried his best to stop her. Not just because he’d wanted to save the man, which he had, but because he’d wanted to save Elektra. He knew she didn't want another human weapon being used to wage war, but letting her kill him would've been admitting she was also too dangerous to live.

He could never accept that.

Matt licked his lips, as he thought how to proceed without making her angrier.

“But you were right too. We weren't prepared to handle him,” he admitted softly. The scars on his back proved as much. “We’ll do better this time.”

Elektra relaxed at that. “So, what do you think is in the basement?”

“I'm not sure,” he answered, happy he had avoided a confrontation. “The area isn't big enough for them to be carrying any experiments there.”

“They had to be specially stupid to conduct their experiments in the pharmaceutical offices. My money is on the transigen labs. Most of the information we have involve them.”

“Where are those located?”

Elektra huffed. “Mexico.”

That was a long way from home, and a longer trip than what he was comfortable doing without his family. He really hoped that wasn’t the case.

“Well...whatever is down there has to be important. They wouldn’t have so many guards if they didn’t want to keep people out.”

“Or keep something in,” Elektra commented ominously. “I just hope we can find where they’re keeping the subjects.”

Her comment brought to mind some of his memories about the Project X facility.

Matt had never been able to forget what they'd found there. The stench of rotten flesh and blood of the pile of corpses had been so strong that he'd gagged on it. But it’d been the bloodied scratches on the operating tables which made him shiver in disgust. What had transpired within those walls had been inhumane. The kind of stuff you read in horror books, and would never believe in real life. It was unbelievable someone else was trying to replicate that monstrosity.

“If… there's really more experiments happening,” he started, his knuckles going white as he gripped his folded cane. “We'll make sure they can't try again.”

Elektra's lips turned up into a wide smirk.

“We most definitely will, Matthew.”

\--

“Good afternoon Karen.” Foggy smiled when he heard Wendy greet Karen at the reception.

He'd been looking forward to her visit all morning.

Not so much because of Matt's latest misadventure, but because of his adorable godson. Foggy loved Lucas’ visits. They didn't get to spend a lot of time together, thanks to his troublesome super powers. Every chance he got to see him was invaluable.

Foggy stood from his chair, eager to go greet Karen and the toddler. His excitement died the moment Karen entered his office with a sleeping Lucas. “Nooo! You were supposed to keep him awake, Karen.”

“That’s not how parenting works, Foggy.” Karen laughed and Foggy paused. He was no Matt, but he could at least tell when Karen sounded off.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, and Karen gave him a subdued smile.

“Yeah,” she said unconvincingly, which Foggy answered with a frown. She sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I'm just a little tired, Foggy.”

She did look unusually tired. Elektra's visit was probably taking a toll on her, and yet he couldn't help feeling there was something more going on. But he knew Karen. She wouldn't talk if she didn't want to. Whatever was going on with her, he was better off leaving it for Matt.

“Let me help you.” he offered when she started getting her son out of the carrier.

Lucas’ frowned and made a small sound when he was moved to Foggy's chest. Thankfully he didn't wake up. They'd come a long way since the days when anything but silk would send him into a crying fit. Foggy didn't miss them. He loved Lucas unconditionally, but they were all glad he was getting more manageable. Who would have thought Matt's powers were such an inconvenient.

Karen gave him a bigger smile. “Thanks, Fog.”

“Anything for my cute baby avocado,” he replied, running gentle fingers through the baby's auburn hair. The kid had inherited Matt's bedhead, but permanently. He really hated brushes, and neither Matt nor Karen had the patience to deal with it. His poor godson was stuck looking like someone had rubbed a balloon on him.

Karen dropped the baby's bag on top of the desk and looked at the archive behind Foggy.

“Do you have a copy of the Project X files?”

Foggy’s breath hitched and his fingers paused in their attempt to tame Lucas' wild hair.

Project X was the first major crisis they'd faced after opening the new office. Foggy didn't have any good memories of it. It’d been a mess from start to end, which wasn't surprising considering their record. They’d come close to losing Matt, again, and that’d hit too close to home. It was one of those cases Foggy prefered not to think about.

At all.

“I do, why?” he had just finished asking the question when his eyes widened as a thought occurred to him. “Wait, don't tell me this has to do with Matt.”

Karen bit her lip, and rested herself against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. “Uh, yeah. Elektra believes there's a company continuing the project.”

“Bullshit,” he countered without hesitation. “Everyone involved is behind bars, and the files were sealed or destroyed. No one should have the information needed to restart it, Karen.”

“She's claiming the Canadian government was involved too.” Foggy was about to reply when Karen continued. “I know, Foggy. We didn't find any connections to Canada before. I told her as much. That's why I need to check our files, to make sure we didn't miss anything.”

Foggy didn't want to believe it, but he also couldn't think of a single reason why Elektra would lie about this. She was crazy and dangerous, but not to the point of lying about something so big. Foggy also trusted she loved Matt enough not to drag him into needless trouble.

“We lose nothing by looking into it.” Karen added when he didn't answer. Foggy had to take a deep breath to stop himself from yelling at her.

Of course they could lose something.

The previous experiment had beaten the heck out of Matt and Elektra. Who knew what kind of monster they would find this time. They could finally lose Matt for good. But he knew Karen didn't meant it like that. She was only thinking of the people they could save.

As much as he wanted to yell and remind her that she had a son now. Neither her nor Matt would ever step back from their quest to help others. It was part of what made them who they were. It was one of the reasons why Foggy loved them so much. Even if half of the times he just wanted to beat some sense into them.

He could only pray things wouldn't go wrong this time, and Lucas would get to grow up with both of his parents.

“How can I help?” he asked in a defeated tone. If they were doing this, he might as well help them.

Karen's face lightened up. “Can you dig into Alkali pharmaceutical? We have to look for all and any connections to the Canadian government.” She took her phone from the bag to show him something. “Matt texted me some names too. Zander Rice, Martin Stutter, and James Howlett.”

“Who are they?”

“The vice-president and president of the Alkali corporation. The last one is the real name of weapon X experiment.”

Foggy's eyes widened. “Hollyshit! She found him?”

“Yeah, I couldn't believe it either.”

Elektra had taken Matt's injury really hard. She blamed herself for it, and to be honest so did Foggy. However, the rage and guilt on her face when she had promised him that she would hunt down the experiment had really moved him. Not that he'd wanted her to kill him or anything. But it had convinced him that Elektra didn't want to hurt Matt.

“Did she end up killing him?”

“No, apparently they're friends now.”

And that was the surprise of the month.

“Okay. I didn't see that one coming.” He shrugged. “So what, we're good with him now? No hard feelings about him slicing Matt like Swiss cheese?”

Karen sighed. “I’m not any happier than you about all this, Foggy.”

Foggy pressed his lips together. “I'll work on this tonight, but I'm not gonna lie. I hope there's nothing here, and Elektra's just being paranoid.”

“That makes two of us.”

He gave her a sympathetic smile and adjusted Lucas on his chest.

“Where are you guys coming from anyway?” he asked remembering Karen said she had something to do first.

“The precinct.”

He frowned. “What? Why?”

Karen shook her head and lifted a hand dismissively. “Nothing, just a side investigation I'm doing for Frank.”

“Frank is in the city too?!” Lucas winced at the volume of his voice and Foggy froze. Thankfully he just shifted and continued sleeping. “Sorry. Is this bad news too? I don't think I can deal with the two of you being idiots in two different missions.”

“Very funny,” Karen replied humorlessly. “I'm just gathering some information. No need to worry about it.”

“Good. We’ve been doing great keeping the crazy away. Let's try to keep it that way.”

Karen chuckled and picked the baby bag from the desk.

“Wait, are you leaving already?”

She gave him an apologetic smile. “I'm meeting Matt for lunch.”

“But you just got here!” Foggy cradled Lucas closer to his chest. It wasn't fair. He hadn't even gotten to play with him. He had needs and rights as an uncle too!

“I’m sorry. I promise I'll bring him back soon.”

“Do you want me to join you for lunch?” he asked a little hopeful.

“I think we're fine.” Karen laughed.

He gave Lucas back to her with a disappointed sigh. The toddler let out a small unhappy noise and blinked open his eyes when he was put back on the carrier. He looked a bit disoriented, his gaze searching around for something or someone right before he started crying.

“Hey buddy,” Foggy said, rubbing his cheek. Lucas hiccuped a few times and opened his teary blue eyes.

“Ogy.” He extended his chubby hands towards him, pleading to be lifted. Foggy looked up at Karen.

“Can I keep him? I promise I'll return him tonight,” he begged, trying his best puppy face on her.

“Foggy... You have to prepare for the McGee case.”

“But look at him! You're dying to be with uncle Foggy aren't you, Luc?” he asked the toddler, taking his small hands in his.

“Another time, okay?”

He let Lucas’ hands fall, which made the toddler cry again. “Ogy up!”

“You're such a spoilsport. I'm totally putting a complaint on you at the uncles’ council.”

Karen giggled and turned around her crying son, so that he was facing her instead of Foggy. Lucas didn't like the change. He burrowed his face on Karen's shirt, grabbing it with both hands, and cried even louder.

“Shh. It's okay, mommy's here.” She gave him his pacifier and petted his head softly until he calmed down.

“He’s such a good boy,” Foggy said proudly. Lucas was a ray of sunshine as long as he was comfortable and dry. He didn't know where he'd gotten his good mood from, since Karen and Matt were experts at brooding. He liked thinking it came from him rubbing off a little on them.

“He is,” she agreed with an unusually sad smile. “Foggy…”

“Yeah?”

There was a pregnant pause before she shook her head. “Nothing. I'll touch base with you tonight.”

“Uh, okay.”

He wanted to stop her from leaving and ask what was bothering her so much, but he didn't. Foggy let her go with the feeling that things were about to turn crazy again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took me so long. March was a really crazy month.
> 
> Originally, Matt's and Karen's lunch was supposed to be in this chapter, but it became too long. 
> 
> I'll do my best to keep on schedule and publish in two weeks, but all the craziness hasn't stopped so no promises. xD
> 
> Thank you everyone for the continued support. You guys are the best.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Murdocks have lunch, but things don't go as Matt expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wohooo, I made it in time! Enjoy!  
> Thanks to Pikkulef and Irelandhoneybee for being the greatest cheerleaders I could ask for!

Matt paused and took a moment to appreciate the subtle scent of his wife and son mixed with those of the restaurant. A small sigh left his lips, as he reminded himself not to run directly to them like he wanted to. He folded his cane and started the slow walk to their usual table at the back of the restaurant. It was a different one from the table they sat on their first date, a little more isolated so that they could have more privacy.

Karen grabbed his hand the moment he reached her side. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he echoed with smiled, caressing her wrist with his thumb. Her heart rate spiked at the contact, and Matt's smile turned cocky. He reactions would never cease to excite him. He loved them all, especially how easy it was for her to get goosebumps at his touch.

He rubbed her neck softly and leaned down to capture her lips in a languid kiss. She was wearing his favorite lipstick. The combination of its citric flavor mixed with the coffee she had not long ago, and the spices around them made her taste exotic. Matt deepened the kiss unable to get enough of it. It was intoxicating. Karen always was.

“Matt,” She warned, a little breathless. He laughed against her lips. Maybe they should have had lunch at home, at least there he could steal as many kisses as he wanted. Matt let out a surprised gasp when Lucas pulled him down by the tie. He'd forgotten he was there.

“Dada,” he sounded mad about being ignored.

“Sorry, Luc.” He picked up the boy, who immediately hugged Matt's neck. Lucas wasn't very comfortable in restaurants. They were still a little too loud for him. Matt rubbed his back and nuzzled his soft auburn hair. “Did you miss daddy?”

The toddler babbled something Matt couldn't quite decipher. He was using words more often now, but it was still mostly gibberish. Foggy liked joking that Lucas would love speeches and debates as much as Karen and Matt did. He was starting to suspect Foggy was right. Not that he minded. There was so much he wanted to share with his son.

“How’s Foggy?” he asked Karen as he guided himself to the sit in front of her with one hand, the other one holding Lucas in place.

Karen blinked, seemingly coming out of deep thoughts. “Uh, he's fine. He wasn't happy to hear the news but he wants to help. He'll look into the names you gave me.”

Matt frowned, the familiar stress in his wife's shoulders and voice rang alarm bells in his head. “Karen did something happen?”

She bit her lips and her heart started beating faster. Lucas raised his head and looked back at her, as puzzled by her reaction as his father was. Matt already knew he wouldn't like what was coming.

Karen's lips parted as if she was about to speak but then her head turned slightly to the side.

She smiled, her voice playful but tense. “Hi Rodrigo.”

“Good afternoon, Mrs Murdock,” Rodrigo greeted back cheerfully.

The waiter appearance took him by surprise. He'd been so concentrated on his wife that he hadn't noticed him until he was almost at his side.

Karen and Matt were popular among the staff. At the beginning it was just curiosity about the blind guy and the cute lady that came together every week. Some of their comments back then had made Matt smile like the fool in love he was. Some had made him want to punch the crap out of something. But then someone in the staff had figured out he was a lawyer, and everyone had started asking them for help and advice.

Rodrigo was one of the many Nelson, Murdock, and Page clients among the staff. They had helped his family settled a medical malpractice case just the previous month. The young man was more than enthusiastic to help them ever since.

“Hey Rodrigo,” he said with a nod. “How's your brother?”

“He's doing better, Mr Murdock! Did you like mom's coquito?”

“Oh, we did. Foggy drank it in one sitting,” Karen answered with an strained laugh. “He might pester your mother for the recipe.”

“She’ll be happy to share it. I can give it to you the next time you're here.”

“That would be great. Thanks Rodrigo,” Karen said a little more relaxed this time.

“What can I get you today? The usual?”

“The usual is fine,” Matt replied.

“Can you add a regular naan to it, please?” Karen added.

“A naan and the usual, got it.”

Rodrigo wrote the order down and waved at Lucas, who waved back at him with a happy “Baba”. Matt laughed against Lucas hair, loving how affable his son could be.

His sightless eyes settled on Karen as soon as Rodrigo was gone. She swallowed and looked to the side as if to escape his gaze, which was never a good sign in her. If Matt hadn't been nervous before, he was now.

“I, uh,… we never finished talking about Lucas’ eyes,” Karen said, her voice barely above a whisper so no one else could hear her.

Matt frowned and sat Lucas down on his lap, distracting him with a napkin.

“Didn’t we? I mean... we did get distracted towards the end,” he replied with a small smirk, trying to lighten up his wife's sudden dark mood. The insinuation didn't get any smiles from her.

Karen looked down and started playing with the hem of her sleeve. “Matt, our eyes aren't meant to see UV light.” She paused and finally looked at him. “Sight loss. Cataracts. Cancer. They're all linked to UV light radiation.”

Matt felt like Karen had pulled the rug from under his feet. His son couldn't go blind, or worse. “We aren’t supposed to have heightened senses either. It-t doesn't have to mean anything.”

“But we don't know that.” She leaned forward, her tone angry but low. “Can you honestly promise me our son won't go blind in a couple of years?”

Matt looked away.

Of course he couldn't promise that.

“And what do you want me to do, Karen? It’s not like we can go to a doctor to fix this.”

Karen deflated at that, and leaned back against her sit. “I know.” She swallowed. “That's why I tried getting help elsewhere.”

Now it was Matt's turn to be nervous. He recognized the guilt and fear in Karen's voice. “Help where, Karen?”

“Okay, so I found a forum dedicated to people with... uh, powers. There's a lot of crazy talk, but there’s this user who really knew what he was talking about. So… I contacted him.”

“Oh, Karen.” Something must had happened with that person to have her this nervous.

“I know. I know. I should have talked to you first and it's reckless, but I couldn't just sit arm crossed knowing Lucas could go blind.”

He reached for her hand on the table and caressed it before bringing it closer for a kiss.

“Hey, it's okay. I'm not mad.”

He did wish she had talked to him first. They were supposed be a team after all. But honestly, he wasn't sure he could have handled it any better. The idea of something happening to Lucas made him feel queasy and sick.

“What, did he say? The user,”

“A lot.” Karen laughed, the nervousness back in her voice. “But that's not the point. He wants to meet us, Matt.”

“What? Y-you didn't tell him about us, about our power, did you?”

“Of course not.” She scoffed. “Not that it matters. They know already. Probably did before I even contacted him.”

“You're losing me Karen. Who knew what?”

“The Avengers, about who you are and your powers.” And Matt raised his eyebrows in surprise but his wife continued before he could reply. “The user, DocDB, it turned out to be Bruce Banner. He sent me a photo as proof.”

“Wait, so you're telling me that you found the Hulk lurking in a shady internet forum?”

Karen stared at him in a way that Matt had come to recognize as her glaring. “Don't patronize me, Matt. I know how crazy it sounds.”

He lifted a hand in an apology. “Sorry.”

Karen sighed and licked her lips. “I want to meet him.”

“No,” he answered without thinking about it twice. “Absolutely no. It's too risky.”

“I know, but he said he wants to help us. And you know what, Matt? We need all the help we can get, because we have no idea what the heck is going on with our son.”

Matt swallowed and clenched his jaw, trying his best not to snap at her. He couldn't even disagree, they needed help, but this was a little too shady for his liking.

“How do you know we're meeting Banner? This could be a trap. For all we know, they could've doctored the photo.”

“I don't know Matt, but I think it's worth a shot. If anyone can helps us with Lucas, it's them.”

Matt dropped a kiss on the boy's hair, just to reassure himself that he was fine. At least at for moment. Lucas didn't even look up from his amusing task of tearing the paper napkin apart.

“When and where are we supposed to meet him?”

“He’ll be waiting for us tomorrow noon at Clinton Park.”

“Karen!” First Elektra and now his wife. He wasn't being given much of a choice or time to digest things lately.

“I know. I’m sorry, but he insisted in meeting as soon as possible. Don't worry I chose the place and time. It's easy to get lost within the crowd and scout at that time of the day.”

Matt opened his mouth to reply but closed it when he sensed Rodrigo approaching with their food.

“Enjoy,” Rodrigo said, placing their meals on the table, completely oblivious to the tension.

Lucas jumped on Matt's lap, forgetting the napkin in favor of the food. He leaned forward a chubby hand going directly to one of the curry plates, which Karen took away before he could grab it.

“Thanks Rodrigo,” he told the waiter and cradled the eager toddler closer to his chest.

The young man smiled and left for another table. Karen took one of the empty plates and started cutting small pieces of chicken and naan for the hungry Lucas. Matt waited patiently until she had put his plate in front of him before continuing their conversation.

“Okay, I'll meet him.” Karen sighed in relief. “but I'll do it alone. I want to make sure we aren't walking into a trap first.”

“Okay,” she agreed not to happy.

“And I want you to promise me that if anything happens, you'll take Lucas and run as far away from here as possible.”

“No,” Karen said firmly with an incredulous laugh. “I told you, Matt. I'm not leaving you.”

“Karen, I can't win against these people. If things go south, you have to keep Lucas safe.”

“Why do you always have to be the one sacrificed? Would you be okay if I was the one asking you this? Lucas needs you. I need you. You aren't something that can be traded in exchange for our safety, you're our family Matt. So don't go making suicide your plan A.”

There was a long silence in which Matt didn't know how to answer. He hadn't meant it like that. He wasn't abandoning them or committing suicide. He wasn't his father. There was nothing he wanted more than to see his son grow up, but he needed to be prepared for the worst. It was part of the job.

He wasn't oblivious enough to think that he could tell that to his distressed wife. Karen was barely holding back her tears and that was his fault. He hated making her cry.

"Karen..." Matt stood with the intention of sitting at his wife's side to reassure her.

He noticed a second too late that Lucas, in their distraction, had finally gotten his hands on the curry plate. The dish tilted and spilled the sauce on the table. Matt stood quickly before the curry could reach the end of the table and bath him.

"Lucas..." he sighed, and his son looked up at him, as he sucked a curry covered fists. "You're really making a mess with the food today, buddy."

Karen's light chuckle made him relax a little. At least Lucas’ mischief had served to lighten the mood. The boy was always living up to his name.

“Here.” Karen offered him a baby wipe, which he used to clean his son's hands.

“No!” Lucas cried, upset his dad was taking away his precious curry.

Rodrigo was at their table by the time Matt had cleaned the fussy Lucas and handed him back to Karen. “Sorry about that Rodrigo. I didn't see him grabbing the bowl.”

  
The young waiter cleared his throat, obviously trying not to laugh at Matt's silly joke. “I'll bring you a new one Mr Murdock.”

“Thanks.” He sat at Karen's side and waited for Rodrigo’s exit to turn his attention back to his family.

"If I have to claim responsibility for the coffee hate, you get the credit for the curry obsession," Matt told Karen, grabbing a piece of naan and dipping it in her curry. “Look Lucas, yummy bread.”

The toddler lifted his head from his mother's shoulder, where he had been crying. His small nose picked the curry immediately and he turned with an open mouth to his dad. Matt laughed and kissed his messy hair, his chest tightening with mixed feelings.

Karen was right.

Her plan was reckless, but they couldn't just sit and wait for things to go wrong with their son.

“That’s fair,” she agreed with a smile.

He peeked her lips, before whispering against her ear. “I'll always come back to you, Karen. You're stuck with this idiot for the rest of your life. That's a promise.”

They both knew it wasn't entirely in his hands whether he came back or not. Nonetheless It was what she needed to hear and what he needed to say. For Karen it was a promise that he wouldn't die on her like the rest of her family. For Matt it was a promise that he wouldn't leave his son like his father had.

“Moa, dada,” Lucas said clasping his hands against the table.

Matt laughed and gave Lucas another piece of curry covered naan. They settled in a comfortable silence after that. Karen eating her food, giving him bites of it every so often, while he fed their energetic toddler. It wasn't until they were almost done with their meal that Karen spoke again.

“What's happening tonight?”

It was Matt's turn to feel like a deer caught in headlights. He'd hoped they could tackle that back at home. Lunch had been heavy enough already.

He sighed knowing just how hard headed his wife was. life wasn't cutting him any slacks today.

“We're infiltrating Alkali's headquarters.”

“Is it wise to do it so soon after your visit?” Karen asked more concerned than judgemental, which was a good start.

“Elektra insisted. She's hell-bent on getting this done as soon as possible.”

Karen brushed Lucas’ bangs away from his eyes, making him look up with a smile. “You don't have to follow her if you don't agree, you know.”

“I know.” He took her free hand and kissed it. “But I agree this time. I have a bad feeling about this, Karen. They're hiding something, and I'd rather not walk up to another pile of corpses.”

Out of the dozen of subjects in experiment X, Logan had been the only survivor. They hadn't even been able to recover their names and inform the families, because their files had been lost. Sometimes, Matt wondered if there was a child out there, still waiting for a father that would never come home. The truth was that he wanted to avoid that situation as much as Elektra.

Karen looked down with a small sigh and nodded. “Be careful, Matt.”

His face softened and he kissed her brow. “I promise.”

\--

“Home?” Matt asked as soon as they were outside. Karen stopped playing with Lucas’ hands, who was strapped to Matt's chest, to look at her husband with a smile.

“Home,” she agreed, moving closer to him so she could take his arm. “I love when you call it that.”

Matt chuckled and allowed her to guide him. He closed his eyes and let the smell of her shampoo and the spices in her clothes surround him. The silky sound of Karen's voice, as she pointed Lucas towards different objects in the street, caressed his ears and he sighed happily. He almost wished they never arrived home, only so that they could have that sweet moment forever.

But everything must come to an end.

For their walk the end came a block away from their apartment when Karen's phone ringed.

Karen face lightened up when she saw the phone's screen. “Hey, Brett.” she greeted, holding a hand up to signal Matt to wait.

Matt cocked his head to the side in confusion, wondering why Brett was calling her, but moved away to give her some privacy anyway.

“Twuk,” Lucas said excitedly, pointing to the road ahead with a chubby finger as he continued the game without his mother. Matt frowned when he was unable to sense the aforementioned truck in the vicinity. His expression turned into mild shock when he finally heard the truck, too far away for Lucas to have seen it.

“Lucas…” he started, unsure of what he could tell or ask his son. He shouldn't had been able to tell the truck apart by sound alone. Either Lucas had seen what shouldn't be possible, or his hearing was way more developed than Matt'd first thought.

The toddler cocked his head in confusion, but Karen returned before Matt could think of anything else.

“Hey, I'm sorry. I have to run. Brett got me a meeting with the cops in charge of the kidnapped Cambodian girl…” her voice broke towards the end as she noticed her husband's expression. “Is something wrong?”

There was a lie on the tip of his tongue, but then he remembered their awful argument the previous night. He didn't want to worry her, but making her feel like he was keeping her out of their son's life was even worse. “I think Lucas’ hearing might be getting stronger.”

“Really? Is that normal?” She asked sounding unsure herself.

“I don't know,” he admitted. There had been a period where his hearing had grown sharper too, around the time Stick had found him. But Lucas’ age made his case very particular. Matt didn't know what to expect from him. “I guess it's a good thing we're meeting Banner tomorrow.”

Karen smiled. “Are you admitting I was right, Murdock?”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” He said playfully and kissed her. “Be careful and don't give the cops too much trouble. They're just doing their job.”

Karen scoffed. “Like you're one to talk.”

She leaned down to kiss Lucas goodbye, but he shoved a hand at her face when his nose picked up the strong smell of coffee. Karen pouted at her husband. “The curry is nothing compared to this.”

Matt laughed and gave her another kiss to make up for their son. “Say bye to mommy, Luc.”

“Baba,” he said, waving a hand.

“Bye sweetie.” Karen answered in the softest voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect this conversation to get its own chapter, but Matt and Karen had a lot to go over. The good news is that the plot should pick full speed starting next chapter!
> 
> So tell me readers, was anyone surprised by the revelations? What shocked you more, Banner and the Avengers, or Lucas' probable vision loss? Are you guys looking forward to infiltration and the meeting?
> 
> Ps. DocDB is a reference to the Hulk movie where Bruce goes by the name of David Banner when he's in the run.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen pays the Brooklyn precinct a visit, and Matt ponders about Lucas' future and his role as Daredevil.

Karen felt a bit naked walking into the Brooklyn 72nd precinct with only her phone, Frank's folder and a wallet. She'd developed the habit of tucking everything inside the baby's bag for the sake of practicality, her gun included. It was too late now to do anything about it, but she wished she had gone back with Matt to retrieve her purse from the apartment.

Hopefully she wouldn't have any reasons to regret it.

Karen made her way to the front desk and smiled at the receptionist. The man gave her a not too happy look, and put down his sandwich. “How can I help you, ma'am?”

“I'm looking for Captain McHugh.”

The man nodded and picked the phone to contact his co-worker. “Name?”

“Karen Page, Page-Murdock,” she corrected herself quickly. Adding the Murdock after her last name still didn't come to her naturally.

A small silence followed as they waited for the captain to pick the phone.

“Hey Greg, there's a Karen Page-Murdock asking for you at the front desk. Umhu, okay, bye.” He pointed to the stairs to Karen's right. “Second floor. He'll be waiting for you.”

“Thanks,” Karen nodded and made her way up the stairs.

A tall blonde and bulky police officer was waiting for her on the second floor. He gave her a big friendly smile and extended his hand to her. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Page-Murdock.”

“Karen’s fine,” she replied, taking his hand.

Karen loved her new name, even if it was a mouthful. The boys only ever used one of the last names because of how long it was. She could have kept either of them and save everyone some headaches, but they were both equally important to her. Page represented the cross she had to bear for her past mistakes, the things she could never erase, while Murdock symbolized her future, her desire to be a better person for her new family.

“Welcome to the 72nd precinct, Karen,” he said warmly. “Come, my office is this way.”

The precinct wasn't as crowded as its Hell's kitchen counterpart had been that morning. Most of the personnel was out, for lunch probably. The cops that’d remained were eating in front of their desks, frowns in place as they worked whatever case was giving them a headache.

They made it almost all the way to the back of the building into a small office. A petite young female cop with a stern expression was waiting for them there. She had dark hair, pulled back in a tidy bum, and equally dark eyes.

“Please sit,” the captain said, pointing at the chair on his co-worker's side. Karen sat down and glanced at the other woman. “This is detective Clara Sánchez. She's in charge of the Samnang Pen case.”

“Nice to meet you, detective.” Karen said politely, earning a nonchalant “likewise” from Sánchez and a firm handshake.

The young woman didn't seem to like her. Whether it was personal or just a general dislike for reporters/lawyers Karen couldn't tell. She was tempted to go with the later. She'd crossed her fair share of cops, both as a reporter and as an investigator, but the name Sánchez didn't ring any bells. Then again, she had become somewhat infamous among the law enforcers over the years. It wasn't outside the realm of possibilities that she disliked Karen based on reputation alone.

“Sergeant Mahoney told me you have something to show us.” McHugh continued.

“Yes, I do.” Karen answered as she put Frank's file on the desk for them to examine. “I have information on the men involved in the kidnapping.”

The captain raised an eyebrow in surprise and shared a look with Sánchez before grabbing the file. He went over a couple of pages and stopped in one with a photo of a group of men moving a cargo in a pier. He tapped the photo with his index finger and handed the file to Sánchez, who received it with a frown.

“How did you get this?” the captain asked her.

Karen swallowed and did her best to keep her face neutral. “From an anonymous source.”

Sánchez settled her gaze on Karen and closed the file. “Is that source named Frank Castle, by any chance?”

So they already knew that Frank was involved. Karen wasn't surprised. The police was hot on his trail after the incident at Sunset Park a couple months ago.

“You suspect Castle is involved with the case?” Sánchez narrowed her eyes at Karen's question, her gaze turning colder.

“Do you take us for idiots? We know Castle rescued the girl. You really think that we'll buy that you, of all people, just happened to get information on a case he's involved in?”

Karen didn't have to fake much of her surprise at Sánchez's words. She hadn't expected her to be so straightforward and open about Frank's involvement. The detective meant business, but Karen wasn't about to roll over and let Sánchez do as she pleased.

“So what? Am I a suspect in every case Castle is involved with, now? I’ve worked hard to build myself as a trustworthy reporter and investigator. I'm not giving up my source and integrity because you're being paranoid.”

“Then I hope you're ready to face trial for it. Tell me. Is your source worth missing months of your son's life?”

Karen swallowed, knowing it wasn’t an empty threat. Frank had climbed all the way to the top of the wanted list. The authorities were probably desperate enough to go after her if they thought she knew anything useful. Still she couldn't just give out her source.

Worst come she would have to trust Matt and Foggy to do their job in court.

“Really? We have a potential human trafficking circle under our noses and you want to focus your energy on the person giving you information?”

For a second there was pure hatred in Sánchez's eyes and she leaned forward in a threatening way. “Get off your high horse dear. You don't get to play the hero when you're helping a serial killer hide. They might be criminals but they have rights too. They have fam-.”

“Clara, that's enough,” the captain intervened, putting a hand on the detective's shoulder.

Karen let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding.

This was always a hard subject for her. She had seen both faces of the coin and stood on both sides of the issue. She had been the victim and she'd been the perpetrator. The people Frank dealt with, people like Fisk and Wesley, she honestly thought the world was better off without them. And yet she knew it wasn't Frank's place, or hers, to decide their fate.

Sánchez wasn't wrong, but Karen couldn't give her what she wanted. If that made her a villain then so be it. She’d already carried that tag for years.

Sánchez laid back against her chair and looked at the wall with a frown. She didn't say anything else, and McHugh gave Karen an apologetic smile on her behalf.

“Thank you for the information. We really appreciate your help,” he paused. “You wanted something too, right?”

Karen cleared her throat and regained her composure. “Yes. I was hoping I could get a copy of the report and, if possible, your statement about the case.”

The captain turned to Sánchez, who sighed and looked at Karen. “There's not much we can tell you at the moment. We're still at the beginning of our investigation.”

“Uh, what about the girl, can you tell me anything about her and the circumstances surrounding her kidnapping?”

Sánchez frowned at her. “We released that information to the press last week. The bulletin even wrote an article about it. Why are you interested in that?”

“Because I still have questions,” Karen answered matter of factly. “From what I know this isn't your usual human trafficking MO. She wasn't groomed. She wasn't assaulted. She was found in perfect health, as if they were just transporting her. So tell me, what would anyone want with a Cambodian farmer's daughter?”

The captain let out a short laugh.

“Always asking the hard questions. You really live up to your reputation,” he said with a smile. “And you’re right. This doesn't seem to be the usual human trafficking case.” He picked up the phone and pressed a button. “Joe, could you get me a request form and a copy of the Samnang Pen report. Thank you.”

“Captain?” Sánchez said in surprise when he hung up.

“It's alright,” he reassured her before turning to Karen. “You won't find much in the report. There's no indication that this is personal. There's also nothing eye catching about her, or her background. It's almost as if they just chose her at random.”

“Did she identify anyone?”

“She said two Cambodian males kidnapped her, possibly not from her region. The local police is working on identifying them,” Sánchez answered.  
Her lips turned into a smirk. “You can try contacting them, but you'll find they're not as cooperative as we are.”

Karen pressed her lips together and tried not to glare at the other woman. She had hoped to find some clues there but so far it was proving to be a waste of her time. They didn't know any more than Frank, or at least weren't willing to share what they knew. She could only hope the report would have something useful.

“Thank you. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions,” Karen said politely.

\--

Matt didn't like the park. Well... it wasn't the park that he minded, it was the people in it. He could deal with the assault of smells, and all the background noises, but all the incessant staring and gossiping drove him insane.

Much to his dismay, Lucas adored the park.

He was too young to understand the stares and the gossiping. All he cared about were the cool things he could sense all around him. Matt had planned to wait for his wife's return at home, comfortable while he played with his son. Lucas had other plans. He’d started his chant for the park as soon as his mother was gone.

“Pak dada,” he demanded again and again, until Matt had thrown in the towel and made an U-turn to the nearest park.

The kid had him wrapped around his pinky. It was good that Karen was somewhat firm with him because if it was up to him and Foggy, Lucas would grow up spoiled.

The toddler started fidgeting in the carrier as soon they reached the park, eager to get his feet on the ground. Matt laughed. Lucas was such a explorer. He'd the feeling he would grow to be very independent and curious. They were already having some trouble entertaining him at home.

Matt folded his cane and took him out of the carrier, ignoring the looks they got from the bystanders.

“Hold on,” he said when he tried to dash away.

He retrieved a pair of small bells from the baby bag and tied them to Lucas’ pants. The bells jingled when he moved which made Lucas frown at them, he still wasn't used to it. They didn't need the bells, of course, but the world expected him to need them. Lucas was stuck wearing them on the rare occasions they were out alone. With that they resumed their walk to the kids’ playground. Lucas’ hand on his, while the toddler tried all kind of movements to make the bells jingle.

The playground wasn't too crowded, and Matt was grateful for it. He recognized a couple of the parents and kids. Some were his neighbors, some he'd met there before. Matt made his way past them, towards his usual bench, close the sandbox, and prayed no one would stop him. When no one did, he let out a relieved sigh.

He let go of Lucas’ hand and folded his cane, giving him the opportunity to run into the sandbox. Matt chuckled and followed after him. He took some toys for the sand from the baby bag and passed them to Lucas, who was more than happy to take them, before sitting on the bench.

He prefered to have more hands on Lucas’ game. It gave him control over their situation, but he didn't want to ruin his suit pants. He had ruined two pants already that month and Karen's monthly -I won't yell about it- limit was around three.

It was after making sure Lucas would be fine and happy playing by himself that he zoomed out.

“Yes, she spent the morning with the guy. Nancy saw it.” he heard a woman said close to the monkey bars. He recognized her voice. She was a regular at the park.

“I knew she was pretentious, but cheating on her husband so openly. I would've never guessed,” said another woman, one of their neighbors. She lived two floors below and had a very noisy daughter. She'd kept Matt awake a couple of times before they had soundproofed the apartment. “I mean… I kinda feel bad for her. I can't imagine taking care of a blind husband on top of an autistic child. It must be hard."

  
They were talking about him, he realized, and about Karen… cheating on him? He was confused at first but then remembered that Karen had met Frank in the open. They probably meant him, and Matt scoffed at the idea. There had been something there, sure, but Karen… God Karen was too honest. She was too good to him to ever do anything like that, even if he really didn't deserve that privilege.

"Come on. You gotta be a bitch to cheat on the blind. She shouldn't have married him if she couldn't handle it."

"I'm just saying. I get where she's coming from."

Matt didn't know what bothered him more. That they were bad-mouthing his wife, on baseless assumptions, or that they'd hit so close to home with his fears. Karen didn't need to take care of him, Lucas wasn't autistic, and she was definitely not cheating on him, but it was a reminder that she could do so much better than them.

Karen could have an uncomplicated family. A husband that didn't risk his life and their safety on a daily basis. Children she didn't have to worry about going blind. Instead she was stuck with the Murdocks. Nothing scared Matt more than thinking she could one day realize all this and leave.

"Lucas," he called, feeling the need to hold his son.

Lucas stopped playing with the sand to look at his father. A moment later the toddler walked to him with clumsy steps, the small bells tied to his pants jingling. He brought him into a hug and kissed his temple tenderly.

“No!” Lucas squealed at the feeling of the beard and tried to get away.

"Sorry." He laughed holding him in place on his lap. "Daddy is being silly."

"Just look at him. Someone needs to tell him." Matt heard the woman stand.

Her friend made a small surprised sound and grasped her arm. "You crazy, woman?" She pulled her friend down. "That's none of your business. And you know, he won't get the kid if they divorce. At least now he gets to be with him."

Matt sighed.

Karen would never keep him away from Lucas. No... given the circumstances it was more likely that he would end up alone with his son. Like his father before him.

The Murdock men were cursed.

His grandfather had died in the battlefield, when his father was about Lucas' age. His father had turned to the streets to help his poor mother and look where that had lead him. Sometimes, when he was about to go out at night, he wondered if he was condemning Lucas to the same. If his son would have to grow without him and what kind of man that would make him.

_Be careful of the Murdock boys, they got the devil in 'em._

Matt kissed Lucas' hair this time, and the toddler looked at him with a smile. "Dada."

He couldn't imagine those words applying to his son, but his father had probably thought the same about him. They had name him Matthew after all. A gift of God. If calling the Devil of Hell's kitchen that wasn't an irony he didn't know what was.

"Will you hate me if I die, Luc?" He asked his son, who cocked his head in confusion.

Matt smiled. Karen had given him such a cute kid.

_Don't go making suicide your plan  A._

He hadn't meant for it to sound that way. But it didn't matter, did it? The truth was that he was risking his life every time he went out. Willingly. He was taking his chance just like his father had that fateful night.

That sacrifice was one of the many things he'd never gotten about Jack Murdock. But now that he was in the same position, he thought he could understand what had possessed his father to win the fight, even at the risk of leaving his son alone.

Still, he wished Lucas could be the one to finally break the curse. That he would get the chance to see him grow into someone who didn't have to experience his old man's pain. That he would be a better person, and have a better life, than both his parents.

  
“Down,” Lucas complained as he tried his best to get out of his father's grasp. Matt held him in place.

"Wait. Let's find a nicer spot," he said as he expanded his senses. He was quite tired of listening to strangers talk shit about his small family.

A smirk appeared on his lips when he found the perfect place.

He grabbed all of Lucas’ toys and tucked them back inside the bag, while Lucas protested with a look of pure horror. “Sorry, Luc. It'll be just a moment.” He told the crying toddler, who got even louder when he was once again put in the carrier.

He hurried to the new spot, passing by the two gossiping women on his way. They greeted him with a “Good afternoon, Mr Murdock” and at least had the decency to sound flustered. Matt nodded at them, not in the mood to dignify them with anything else.

They made it all the way to the other side of the park, close to the church, ignoring all the curious looks the blind guy with the crying child attracted.

It was recess time at the orphanage. The children, ranging from Lucas’ age to early teens, were playing tag by the fountain. Others had split into smaller groups playing cards or taking turns on the one video game they had. The imagine made Matt's lips twitch. He'd hated coming to the park even back then. He'd always been the one child left out, all alone in his personal darkness while the others bonded together.

“Matthew,” Maggie called him with a hint of surprise.

  
“Good afternoon, Sister,” the words were soft, and Maggie's heart skipped a beat as it usually did.

They weren't mother and son. They would never be. She had forsaken that title before Matt could understand what it meant. That didn't mean they didn't care for each other like family, or that a part of Matt didn't, desperately, want that connection. But some things could never be fixed.

  
He put the still crying Lucas on the ground and gave him his favorite plushy and pacifier. He grew quieter until he stopped crying altogether. When Matt took a step towards him, Lucas stepped back, hugging his plushy to his chest as if expecting Matt to take it away.

“No!”

“You don't want to play with daddy, Luc?” The toddler shook his head and Matt resisted the urge to sigh. He was too used to Matt answering his nonverbal cues. They really needed to work on that if they wanted to keep being alone in public.

“He shook his head,” Maggie said helpfully, some amusement evident in her tone. She kneeled in front of Lucas. “Do you want to play with the fountain?”

Her grandson looked back at the running water with his curious blue eyes. Matt felt the excitement building in him, the spike in his heart beat, the hitch in his breath. He was sprinting towards the water, bells jingling along the way, before anyone could say another word. Lucas ended up on the other side of the fountain, as far away from the other children as he could. Away from the nuances that Matt knew all too well.

Like father like son.

The thought wasn't as welcoming as it usually was. Matt didn't want Lucas to be like him. He didn't want him to grow fatherless and hurt, or be someone familiar with violence. But Matt couldn't stop Daredevil. He didn't know how to. He didn't want to.

Maggie grabbed his arm when he tried to follow Lucas.

“Zach, can you keep an eye on the little one for us?” She asked one the orphans. The boy looked up from his book and nodded at her before following Lucas to the other side of the fountain. “He's quiet and good with the young ones. They will be fine.”

“Thank you,” he said sincerely, and allowed her to guide him to the bench.

He listened to Lucas splash the water, while the older boy stopped him from going head first into the fountain.

"You seem to have a lot in mind,” Maggie commented after a while.

That was an understatement. "I have a lot to think about."

"Has something happened?" Maggie asked.

Matt pursed his lips together. He didn't know where to start. He didn't even know if it was fair to discuss it with her, if she would want to. But he didn't have anyone else to turn to. Not really.

"I-" he swallowed. "I've been thinking about dad lately."

Maggie's sat up straighter and her heartbeat speed up, but that didn't stop him from continuing.

"I couldn't understand why he would choose a fight over his son, you know? I mean, I knew he wanted to prove something, to show me a lesson, but it didn't make sense to me. And now, I'm here doing the same to Lucas, going out every night not knowing if I'll see the sunrise." He tightened his grip on his cane. "But if this isn't the right path. If I shouldn't be doing this anymore, then why does God keep sending things my way? Should I just ignore the cries for help? How will I look him at the eyes then? How do I tell my son that I let those people die for him?” he paused and licked his lips. “Maybe I was selfish in wanting him here. He doesn't deserve this.”

Maggie let out a small sigh, her shoulders rigid, and Matt could tell she was organizing her thoughts.

“Perhaps you were selfish,” her words were a knife to Matt's heart. He wasn't the only one there who had wanted a family over God's calling. “But he's here now. The Lord must have a plan for him.” She swallowed. “Just like he did for you.”

“What if that plan breaks him?”

“Then that's between him and God. He might be your son, but his path is his own. We can only do our best to guide others, Matthew. If you want to stop. If you feel that's the right thing to do. Then do it for yourself, don't go putting that weight on him.”

Matt closed his eyes with a heavy sigh, and let her words sink as he once more concentrated on his son's happy laughter.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wohooo! Another one gone. What did you guys think of the 72nd precinct? Greg and Clara aren't as cute as Brett for sure. xD
> 
> I always love some Matt and Maggie. Matt's slowly realizing he's more like his father and mother than he wanted to admit. He has some serious thinking to do moving forward. 
> 
> Poor Lucas is obviously stuck in the middle of all this.
> 
> Up next is, finally, the infiltration. Expect Elektra and Daredevil being awesome in some good old action adventure. I wonder what they'll find down there.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt's and Elektra's investigation takes an unexpected turn.

Matt tucked a wild strand of hair behind Lucas’ ear and placed a soft kiss on his temple. The boy frowned in his sleep and his small nose twitched, the smell of leather and blood of Matt's suit too strong for his senses. Matt stepped back reluctantly before he could wake him up.

“Don't wait up for me. This might take a while,” he told Karen, who was standing by the room's door.

“You know I don't sleep well without you,” she said softly, her arms crossed over her chest as if trying to put some distance between them.

Ever since he'd gone missing after a fire, Karen would wait for him to return from his patrol with the first aid kit in hand. It broke his heart to see her so worried, but he couldn't deny that it warmed him to know she was there to take care of him. She was his light during the rough nights.

Matt closed the distance between them and touched her face, a sad sympathetic smile on his lips. “I'll be back soon.”

She nodded and offered him his helmet. “Take care, please.”

Matt dropped his hand from her face to her wrist and pulled her closer so he could kiss her. Karen's lips parted immediately, the tension in her shoulders left her as she melted against her husband's chest. For a moment Matt could pretend that he didn't have to go anywhere, that all he needed was in that room.

But that moment was short lived.

He broke the kiss with the same reluctance he had when stepping away from Lucas. He rested his forehead against her and closed his eyes, feeling his his heart tear itself apart as it was pulled in two different directions. His guilt and sense of duty trumped in the end.

“I’ll be back soon,” he repeated, softer this time.

Karen nodded and put the helmet on him. When he stepped back there was no hesitation. Matt Murdock was gone and Daredevil stood in his place, ready to tackle the next challenge. Karen didn't reach for him when he went to the window, and he didn't look back before jumping to the fire-escape. It was all they could do not to second guess their decisions.

\--

Elektra was waiting for him a couple of blocks away from his building. She was resting arms crossed against the wall in one of Hell's Kitchen many dark alleys. In front of her was a motorcycle and Matt raised an eyebrow in surprise. He’d expected one of those fancy sport cars she loved so much, but somehow she always managed to defy his expectations.

“Isn’t this a little too modest for you,” he teased, nodding to the motorcycle.

“They're fast and convenient, and now you can't say I never listen to your requests,” she answered before she tapped his forehead. “You even have the helmet to go with it.”

Matt chuckled. It was nice to see her in a better mood that night. “Is everything ready?”

“Of course it is.” She looked down at her watch. “We have 1 hour and 30 minutes before the blackout starts.”

“Do I want to know how you managed to arrange that?”

Elektra gave him cocky smirk. “You would be surprised by what you can get if you have the money and know who to bribe.”

No, Matt wasn't surprised.

He'd dealt with Fisk enough to learn that. But he knew Elektra was the kind of person that wouldn’t hesitate to use force. In fact, years ago it would probably have been her default approach. Matt hoped this meant she was growing. That she was finally breaking free from the shackles of her past and Stick's influence. God knew if had taken him a long time and a lot of care, from Foggy and Karen, to break free from the worst of it.

She grabbed her helmet from the motorcycle's seat and put it on. “Come on, we don't have all night.”

\--

Getting into the complex wasn't particularly difficult. Unlike the basement, the rest of the building and the outside wasn't heavily guarded. Protected only by a few guards and cameras, it was child's play for Matt and Elektra. Once inside they parted ways. Elektra headed for the electrical building while Matt waited by the office building for his turn. Elektra would make sure the emergency generator didn't kick in when the blackout hit, leaving the office complex in complete darkness. Perfect for Matt to capitalize on his abilities and clear their path to the basement without much trouble.

Matt smirked when he heard the ever present buzz of the lights around him stop. There was a moment of confusion among the staff and guards as they waited, in vain, for the power to be restored. When they realized this wouldn't happen one of the guards ventured out to check on the generator's team. He'd only taken a few steps outside the building when he let out a surprised “What-” just as Matt knocked him out.

Time to work.

They weren't expecting anything like this. That much was obvious as he cleaned his way to the basement with the guards not realizing anything was wrong until seconds before they were hitting the floor. Matt wasn't superstitious, but he was weary of easy missions after years of having them go wrong. He was trying to convince himself that he and Elektra were just that good, but the skeptical part of him was ringing the warning bells.

Matt stopped when he finally reached the entrance to the unknown part of the basement.

Behind the reinforced and sealed door awaited pure darkness. He put a gloved hand on it, trying to feel anything beyond the thick solid metal without success. He blinked and turned his head to the side when Elektra's wooden metallic scent captured his senses.

“It’s still locked. It must have some sort of battery or an independent generator but I can't pinpoint its location. It must be on the other side,” he told her.

“I’m aware, but don't worry it's part of the plan.” she pushed him away, so she could have access to a panel at the door's side.

Matt cocked his head and listened closely as she uncovered a numpad behind the panel. Elektra worked with a small frown as she murmured a sequence of numbers. After a moment, the lock disengaged and the door opened, making Elektra smirk and give out a victorious “Yes!”

Matt turned his ears to the newly exposed corridor and expanded his senses towards it. The door wasn't the only thing that still had energy. The whole area was humming with life, the soft buzzing of the lights guiding the way to the end of the long wide corridor.

“What do you hear?”

“Machines, big ones.” Probably a server which would explain why the area had its own dedicated generator. “And one heartbeat.” It was faint, very slow and controlled as if it they were in sleep or deep meditation.

Elektra frowned. “Only one? That's odd,” she said as she took her sais in hand.

Matt stopped her when she tried to move past him. “No one dies.”

“I know the deal,” she answered, her tone a little annoyed.

Matt sighed and followed her.

Every step they took brought the heartbeat and the humming machines closer to them. There weren't many smells down there, but there was one in particular that filled the space. Matt couldn't quite place it. It wasn't human, nor completely animal, and it had a faint trace of metal and sickness adhered to it. It was disturbing… and somehow familiar.

They were halfway through the corridor when the steps started. “Wait Elektra, someone is coming.”

Elektra didn't reply, taking her usual battle ready pose instead, Matt braced himself too, and waited for the unknown to show itself.

“Well, well, well,” a hoarse playful voice said. “Isn't this a surprise. To think there’s someone stupid enough to come this way.”

The man that came out of the other side of the corridor was tall. He was muscular, much more so than Matt, and his features, from what he could tell, were rough. He was wearing a thick furry leather jacket that had no business being on anyone's shoulders that late into spring.

If anything, Matt could tell this wasn't just another staff member, but he wasn't wearing anything that suggested he was one of the guards either.

"Says the man wearing fur in this heat,” Elektra said with a smirk, swinging one of the sais in her hands. “Do yourself a favor and move aside, sweetheart.”

The man chuckled, his big smirk revealing a pair of sharp and long canines. “Oh, but the fun is just about start, hon.”

“Watch out!” was all Matt could scream before the man was charging towards them.

He pushed Elektra out of the way, the impact making him crash against the wall. The man was fast, crossing the distance between them in a moment. He got to Elektra despite Matt's best effort, and she he hissed in pain as sharp claws sliced her side.

Long metallic claws to be precise.

Matt didn't have much time to think about it. Their enemy was onto him the next moment, his claws coming for his head in a quick succession of slashes. He rolled to his side and did his best to evade and deflect the attacks while he waited for Elektra to recover and help.

She stood from the floor with a feral growl and launched herself at their enemy. Her sai slashed the skin of his arm and Elektra smirked in triumph as she readied her next attack. Her grin turned into a surprised gasp when he grabbed her wrist and slammed her against the wall with full force.

Matt took advantage of his momentary distraction to hit the the man's chin. The blow made him stumble back, leaving him wide open for Matt's attacks. He punched the bigger man without mercy, the skin of his fist splitting together with that of his enemy after each hit. In the end, he spun on his heel and kicked the man's nose with enough strength to break the bones.

To Matt's horror the man didn't fall down like he’d expected. He merely took a step back with his head tilted up. After a moment he groaned and looked down so he could spit some blood onto the floor.

“You gonna pay for that,” he growled as the open skin of his wounds knitted itself back into place, leaving no scar.

“Et merde,” Elektra whispered behind him.

The next moment they were back at it. The feral man an even match to Matt’s and Elektra's power. They couldn't win head to head, Matt realized. Whatever advantage they had over him was outdone by his healing. If they wanted to win they would need to restrain him, but they had nothing to work with.

Matt fell back, giving Elektra some space in hope she would take the hint. As usual she did, understanding exactly what he needed from her without a word. She took charge of the onslaught, keeping their enemy busy while Matt looked for an opening. He surrounded the man's neck on the first chance he got, putting all his strength in his arms as he tried to make him pass out.

The bulky man reached for Matt with a clawed hand, but Elektra's sai pierced it before he could reach him. His movement became sluggish and he started to stumble from side to side. Just when Matt thought the madness would be over, he roared and marched back at full speed, slamming Matt against the wall behind them.

His world went black for a few seconds, the ringing in his head drowning all his senses. Still Matt held to his enemy's neck with every ounce of strength he had. The distance he'd put between them and Elektra allowed him to grab Matt's arms, his claws digging in his skin as he tried to pry them away. Matt screamed in pain, but then man went limp on his arms at the same time Matt's face was bathed by warm drops of blood.

Elektra’s sai had impaled their enemy from below the chin to the back of his head, coming out a few centimeters away from Matt's face.

“You killed him,” he said a bit shocked by the abruptness of the events.

“He's not dead,” she snapped, tugging at Matt's arm insistently. “Come on, we need to move before he wakes up.”

Matt let her drag him towards the end of the corridor, as he collected himself. He stopped her when his hearing picked up the movement outside the basement. “Wait, there's more people coming. We'll get trapped if we go any further.”

“We can't leave empty handed!” Elektra said with a hint of desperation.

“We're no use to anyone if we get captured.”

Elektra looked from the unconscious man to the end of the corridor, where the information they needed probably was. “Fait chier!”

She turned around and dragged Matt the way they had come.

Some of the guards he'd knocked out were awake, and Matt grimaced. They had wasted too much time in the basement. The guards had the chance to regroup, and had fully armed backups waiting for them outside the building.

“This way,” he told Elektra, pulling her to the side as he mapped the best way out. There were some complex corridors towards the back of the building with fewer guards, and Matt took advantage of them. He didn't take time to stop and think, pushing through anything and anyone that blocked their exit until they finally found themselves away from the madness and back with the motorcycle.

“Shit, shit.” Elektra cursed as she approached her bike.

“That man,” Matt started between pants. “He had adamantium claws and superhuman healing. I thought they weren't done yet.”

“They aren't. He isn't the final product,” she said as she looked for something on the bike's seat.

“How do you know that?” Matt asked in confusion before his eyes widened. “Wait, did you know about him?”

“Of course not,” she deadpanned. “But I know Logan. This guy only has his claws infused with adamantium and his healing is inferior. He must be the failed subject the report was talking about.”

“Shit,” was all he could say.

If that was a failed subject he didn't want to come face to face with the final product.

They hadn't had a proper fight with Logan five years ago. They had awakened him by mistake and he'd gone berserk before Elektra or Matt could really understand the situation. All Matt remembered from their encounter were the sharps claws that had sliced through everything, him included.

“So what now?”

They weren't any closer to knowing where the experiments were taking place or exposing them. And now Alkali knew someone was after them.

Their chances of finding the truth had gotten a lot worse.  
  
“Now, we need to lose him.” Matt frowned and turned his head to the site to check if anyone was following.

“We lost them already, Elektra.”

“Not them. Him.” she said as she offered him a cellphone she'd gotten from the bike. “Logan has enhanced senses, not like yours, but good enough to track anyone through a city. If he's like him, he'll find us.”

Matt let Elektra's words sink slowly. He could track them. He could find Matt and track him all the way back to his home, where his baby boy was sleeping and his unsuspecting wife was waiting for his return. Just the idea of that man anywhere close to his family made his lungs constrict in panic.

“I-I need to go,” he said, already pushing Elektra aside.

“You can't! You'll guide him directly to them. We need to lose him first.” She took his hand and placed the cellphone on it. “Call her. I'm sure you have a place they can hide, but be quick. He should be coming soon.”

Matt accepted the phone with a heavy heart.

It wasn't that he was unprepared for this. The three of them -Matt, Karen, and Foggy- had discussed the possibility of Daredevil's enemies going after them back when they first started the firm. It was a risk they'd all agreed to take. There were plans and protocols in place for it, but there was only so much planning could prepare you for.

“Hello.” Answered Karen's groggy voice, after two rings.

“Karen.”

“Matt?” She asked in a mixture of surprise, tiredness, and apprehension.

“Hey, listen. I need you to grab the spare suit and go to Luke's. Take whatever you need to spend the night.”

“Wait, is something wrong? Did something happen?”

“I'm alright,” he reassured her quickly, knowing she was probably jumping to the worst case scenario. “I don't have much time to explain now, but tell Luke to be on guard. We might be dealing with an incomplete product of experiment X.”

“Shit,” Karen cursed, and Matt could hear her already moving to prepare their escape.

“Matthew,” Elektra called, waiting for him on the bike.

“I have to go, but please be careful and pass on the message to Foggy.”

He was about to hang up when Karen's desperate plea stopped him. “Wait Matt!”

He swallowed.

“It's alright,” he said softly. “I'll see you soon remember?”

There was a small pause in her breathing and Matt knew she was nodding to herself. “Alright, see you soon.”

\--

Victor hated dying, if it could even be called that. It was ridiculously painful and the wait while his brain recovered all function was always agonizing. It made him want to kill something in return, specifically the bitch that had killed him. He dreamed about it as he waited for the healing to be done.

It was then understandable how pissed he was when he woke up and found his prey missing.

He stood with a roar, startling the heck out of the curious guard that had been checking on him. The guard stumbled back scared to see the man who had a hole in his head a minute ago, alive and well. “H-how-”

He didn't get to finish his question as Victor grabbed his neck and lifted him into the air.

“Let him go!” screamed another guard behind them, pointing his gun at him. Victor made quick work of him, slashing his throat before he could shoot the first round. The other one struggled against the strong hand around his neck until slowly he stopped moving.

Victor huffed in annoyance and let him go. The body fell to the ground with a loud thud. Rice wouldn't be happy about him butchering the guards, but they’d been unlucky enough to see him healing. They would just have to come up with some bullshit cover-up.

He retrieved his cell phone from the first guard's hand, who had been poking at it before Victor woke up, and dialed Rice's number.

“I was waiting for you. What's all this ruckus about a break-in at the pharmaceutical Offices?”

“Your shitty guards let two rats get all the way down here.”

“Was the server compromised?”

“Luckily for you, I'm better than that pathetic excuse of a security that you have.”

Rice tsked in annoyance. “And yet I heard they escaped.”

“These were no amateurs, Rice. They managed to restrain and kill me.”

Rice took a moment to reply to that. Victor could almost see him rubbing his chin in deep thought. “Did you get a look at them?”

“Barely. One of them was wearing a mask so I couldn't see his face. He was dressed like the devil or something. The other one was an asian chick, but I only saw half her face.”

“A man dressed as the Devil and an asian woman. How curious.” There was a hint of amusement in his voice. “Find them and bring them back.”

Victor frowned. It was an odd request, even for the eccentric Rice. “You don't want to kill them?”

“Not yet,” he answered cryptically. “Call me again when you have more information.” Victor growled when the man ended the call abruptly.

He really hated Rice.

If he didn't need him, Victor would have killed him a long time ago. The thought had been in his mind a lot lately, since there had been little progress in his enhancement. Now, he was even taking away the fun out of hunting his prey.

Victor smirked.

Well... he hadn't mentioned what condition he wanted them in. He probably wouldn't mind if they were missing a limb or two.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Victor Creed has joined the game. Did you guys like it? Were you surprised to see him here? xD 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed the action. Things start turning crazy from here on. We'll see a lot more characters make their appearance now. Anyone excited for some Luke?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt comes up with a clever plan. Elektra's not impressed.

Matt had his focus on the city, trying to catch anyone following them before they could find them. He was barely aware of where Elektra was taking them, or of the insistent wind on his face. No one was following yet, at least not close enough for Matt to detect them.

Usually that would relieve him, but this time it just made him more nervous. If they weren't following them, then maybe they were going after his family. It was taking all his willpower to remain focused, and stop himself from calling Karen again.

He blinked in surprise when the bike's engine died under him. He cocked his head to the side and took in his surroundings. The mixture of rusted metal and residual oil tickled his nose, at the same time the lulling sound of the Hudson's tide reached his ears. Elektra had brought them to an abandoned shipyard on the New Jersey coast.

"What are we doing here, Elektra?" he asked in confusion when she got off the bike.

"Setting up a trap," was her nonchalant reply.

"A trap? We can't take on this guy!"

"Yes, we can," she replied with determination. "He took us by surprise, it won't be the same this time."

"For God's sake. We're injured," he replied, referring to the bleeding wounds on her side and his arms where the adamantium claws had gotten them. "And I need to get back to my family. We can't fight him now."

She turned with her index finger pointing at him. "Our best chance of getting any information and stopping them is to capture this guy. If you think I'll just walk away and let them win then you don't know me at all."

Matt grabbed her arm when she was about to move away. "Elektra I get you. Believe me, I want to stop this as much as you do, but we can't engage him now. Neither of us will be at our best and we don't know what else they might be sending our way. We need to play smart, and right now the best move is to fall back and regroup. We'll come up with a way to stop them afterwards."

She pulled her arm free and glared at him, but after a short moment she sighed. "What's your big plan then? We still need to lose him."

Matt smirked. If there was anyone who understood the limits of enhanced senses it was him.

\--

Tracking the intruders wasn't hard for Victor. They had a particular smell to them, especially the woman. Just like her surprising lack of heartbeat, there was something very unique in her scent. It clung to the air time after she'd left the place, it was the perfect path for his nose.

Their scent guided him through the maze of streets until he reached the Hudson Coast. They had stopped in an abandoned shipyard for a while and then they'd left, headed towards Lincoln tunnel.

Victor pressed his lips together a s stared at the buzzing city across the river, so bright and bursting with life. He wasn't fond of New York, it was too loud and smelled like piss and sweat, but he hated losing his prey more than he hated the city.

His nose twitched in annoyance. At least there was something poetic about capturing them in a City full of rats.

\--

Karen banged her fist against Luke's door, looking over her shoulder every so often to confirm she was still alone. She had a duffel bag on one hand, and her crying son strapped to her chest. She'd tried calling Luke before coming but he wasn't picking up, and now she was nervous he wasn't home at all.

"Luke! Come on, open the door!" she yelled, not caring if she woke up his neighbors.

She looked down at the unhappy Lucas. He had his red face pressed against her chest, his small hands grabbing her shirt in a tight fist as he cried his heart out. He'd hadn't stopped since she took him from his crib and interrupted his sleep. Karen was starting to feel anxious about him. It always broke her heart to see him so desperate, but she needed to get them to safety first.

"Luke!" She yelled, knocking with even more insistence.

A moment later she heard a muffled "Wait," followed by heavy footsteps. She breathed out in relief when the door opened to reveal a tired Luke.

"Karen?" He asked with a frown before looking at the baby and stepping aside. "What are you doing here?"

"Thanks," she said, making her way to his couch. "I'm hiding, apparently."

Karen opened the duffel bag and her breath hitched at the sight of Matt's spare mask. She swallowed, trying not to worry -too much- about him, and grabbed the silk sheet so she could wrap the crying Lucas in it. It was their bed sheet, Matt's and Karen's.

The toddler calmed a little right away, his small nose twitching as he sniffed the air. Karen wondered what it smelled like to him. Home, hopefully. Her ears reddened as she remembered the last time she'd been in bed with Matt and hoped Lucas couldn't pick all that up.

"What are you hiding from? Where's Matt?" Luke asked her.

"He's on the way, and I'm not sure. Matt was very cryptic, but it's related to Project X. He said we might be facing an unfinished product." Karen gave Lucas his pacifier, and started rocking him. She kissed the top his head softly -careful not to knock off the earmuffs- when he stopped crying and closed his eyes. "Sleep well, sweetie."

When Karen looked back at Luke, he had the strangest expression on his face. "What?"

Luke swallowed and shook his head lightly. "Okay, you're gonna need to explain yourself."

Karen sighed and was about to start explaining when someone asked "Is that a baby I hear?" from Luke's bedroom.

They both turned in time to see Jessica coming out of the bedroom's hallway with her hair all ruffled and a small frown on her face. Well… this was awkward. Karen didn't know they were back together, and she wondered if Matt did. At least, now she knew why he hadn't picked up his phone.

"Hey, we have company," Luke said, rubbing her arm softly when she approached him.

Jessica blinked at her, making Karen's lips twitch in amusement. "Hi Jessica."

The other woman gave her a dry look. "What the hell happened now?"

"It's been a long day," and definitely not how she had expected, or hoped, it to go. "Do you mind if we wait for Foggy and Marci to arrive? I'd rather go through this just once."

"Let me call Danny." Luke said going back to the bedroom.

"Great," Jessica said sarcastically, as she made her way to the kitchen. "Perfect way to start my Friday."

\--

Their scent took Victor all the way to the streets of Hell's Kitchen. The man lived there. His scent was scattered through many places around the neighborhood. The woman's was more elusive, only present in very few places.

Victor ignored the fading scents and followed the fresh one, growing more eager to find them by the minute. Some people stared at him as he walked the streets of New York in his thick jacket but no one stopped. It was the one thing he liked about the city. Everyone minded their own business.

The track brought him to a dark alley where the scent stopped abruptly. Victor looked around confused. They couldn't just have disappeared into thin air. He looked around for any clue of their whereabouts and stopped when he stepped on something hard and solid. There was a manhole to the sewers under his foot.

Victor roared in anger.

They were wrong if they thought that would stop him. They would have to re-emerge at some point and Victor would be waiting for them. They had just made their capturing more miserable. He would take his time to make them suffer before handing them to Rice.

Victor closed his eyes and sniffed the air, trying to pinpoint where the man's presence was the strongest. Rice did want more information, and while Victor didn't care about it, it might help Rice overlook the state of his prey when he got them.

In any case, It was as good a distraction as any while he waited for the rats to show their faces again.

\--

Matt knew he'd made the right decision after half an hour of walking through the sewers. Elektra was slowing down considerably, the wound on her side wearing her down as time passed.

She wasn't the only one tired.

The wounds in Matt's arms hurt. They sent pangs of pain up his shoulders every so often. Going through the sewers had taken a toll too. He was a bit nauseous from the smell, and he'd the beginning of a bad headache. They were both relieved when they emerged in Harlem almost two hours later.

They walked in the shadows of the late night and made their way to Luke's apartment. Matt could hear the whispering as soon as they approached the building. There were more people than he'd expected. Luke had called the rest of the team.

The whispering stopped when he knocked on the door, and Luke was immediately on his way.

Matt smiled when his friend opened the door. "Hey man."

"Ugh" Luke said, covering his nose immediately. "What's that smell?"

"Matt's brilliant plan," Elektra replied, and Matt gave her what could only be called a pout. He'd gotten them to safety and he'd definitely suffered the road more than her.

"Where's your bathroom? I need to get this stench off me."

"Last door to the right." Elektra pushed past him and made her way to the bathroom without acknowledging the rest of the people inside, not even Karen when she called after her. "Always the same."

That wasn't true Elektra had definitely changed in the last couple of years, but it was something Matt didn't have the time to explain to Luke. He gave him a tight smile instead and made his way inside.

He let out a relieved sigh when he heard his wife's and son's heartbeats. They were safe, and that made his night much more bearable.

Karen had Lucas wrapped in their bedsheet and Matt's chest burned with pride at it. For all her insecurities she was growing into a wonderful mother. She was getting so good at understanding Lucas' needs, and his, not needing Matt to remind her of stuff like this anymore.

"Matt," she said when she noticed him, her voice wet and needy. He was about to rush to her side when Jessica protested.

"What the hell is that smell?" She asked with a hand over her mouth. She sounded like she was moments away from throwing up.

Matt froze.

He hadn't noticed it before, but there was an unknown heartbeat in the room, one faster and softer than Lucas'. It was coming from Jessica.

"Are you okay?" Danny asked, rubbing her back softly. Jessica nodded with a frown, and tried to regain her composure.

"You-" he started, but then Marci was in front of him, her posture tense and annoyed.

"You better have a good explanation as to why am I here instead of my bed, Murdock!"

"Marci!" Foggy said, going after his wife. He stopped when he reached her side, and they both covered their nose. "Oh hell, you stink buddy."

"I know," he answered annoyed.

The smell bothered him more than anyone else, and it was starting to bother Lucas too. He could hear the boy shifting and coming out of his sleep. Matt hesitated for a moment, split between waiting outside for Elektra to finish or barging into the bathroom so he could clean himself on the sink. A new pang of pain in his arms made up his mind.

He gave his wife an apologetic smile and rushed to the bathroom.

Elektra poked her head out of the shower when he entered the room and quickly slid back inside after she realized it was just him. Matt sighed and took off his mask, gloves, and top so he could clean himself up.

"You know, you could just wait for me to be done."

"I'll be out as soon as I get rid of the worst of it," he muttered, splashing some water over his face, head and arms. Elektra hissed in pain when her movement pulled at the wound on her side. "We need to check that."

"I'll need stitches," she admitted.

"Let's hope Luke has some. Karen or I can stitch you up."

"Oh, that's very kinky of you, Mr Murdock."

He rolled his eyes at her and continue washing himself. He stopped when he noticed Karen approaching the bathroom.

"Matt," she said almost surprised when he opened the door as she was about to knock. She was holding some clothes to her chest with one hand while the other remained on the air.

"Karen," he replied with a soft and playfully smile. "Where's Lucas?"

"Foggy's holding him for a moment." Matt could feel her focus shift to the shower behind him very briefly before she continued. "I uh, thought you would want a change of clothes."

There was a soap on top of the clothes, one of their odorless one.

Matt's eyes watered. She'd thought to bring those for them, for Lucas. Karen was truly growing into her role. He closed the door behind him and hugged his wife. She smelled so sweet even with all the stench surrounding him. He nuzzled her neck and felt himself relax a little when she rubbed his back.

"You're hurt," Karen noticed with worry as she ran a finger over the purple bruise on his bare back. Matt shivered and closed his eyes.

"Arms too," he admitted, his humid breath raising goosebumps against her skin. "And Elektra needs stitches on her side."

Karen took one of his arms and examined the wound. "Jesus Matt, please tell me you didn't go through a sewer with these."

He didn't answer and just rested his head on her shoulder, feeling the weight of the day finally get to him. "I'll go grab the first aid kit. We need to disinfect them."

"No," he said tiredly, and surrounded her with his arms, hissing a little when they protested at the movement. "Just… give me a moment."

Karen smiled and started running her soft fingers through his wet hair.

They were safe.

He was home.

\--

Victor opened the window facing the fire escape stairs and entered the empty apartment. The first thing he noticed once inside was the soundproofing. The second was the lingering scent of two new people. A smirk appeared on his lips, baring his long fangs.

It was always added to the fun of the chase and the torture.

He walked the living room searching for clues about the devil's identity. He stopped in front of a photo of three people in front of an office with the sign: Nelson, Murdock and Page. There was a pretty blonde woman to the left, a blind man in the center and a blond guy to the right. Victor laughed recognizing the blind man as the intruder. That was definitely a surprise, but he'd seen stranger things in his lifetime.

Right beside that photo there was another of the same woman holding a baby of wild auburn hair and bright blue eyes. Victor wondered just how stupid the guy was. Children were a distraction at best, a weakness at worst, for people like them.

He walked around some more, searching for a bill or anything that would give out the man's name. When he found a letter addressed to him, he smiled and dialed Rice's number.

"Does the name Matthew Murdock ring any bells?" he asked as soon as the line opened.

"Matt Murdock you say." Rice laughed, in that creepy way he did when he was overjoyed. "I know him, yes. So he is the Devil of Hell's Kitchen after all."

"You knew?"

"I suspected. Do you have him now?"

"No, the clever rats took the sewer. I can't track them, but I'm in his home and the idiot has a wife and son. I'm sure I can find him if I follow their tracks."

"Don't," Rice said suddenly. "You missed your chance when you let them hide."

Victor saw red at Rice words. "This isn't over until I have them."

"Don't be stupid. Daredevil has connections to other heroes. I wouldn't be surprised if he was already waiting for you with some of them."

"Two, five, ten I don't care how many they are. I'll rip through them all!"

"You won't, because I have other plans for you."

"I'm not your Goddamn puppet! Whatever you want you can send your stupid goons to do it."

"Victor, must I remind you of our agreement? All I do is for the sake of the project. If you want us to hold our end you better start cooperating and hold yours."

Victor's grip on the cellphone tightened until it started cracking under the pressure. He loosened it and let out a defeated sigh. He'd gone through so much already. It made no sense, even to him, to throw everything out for a pair of rats.

"What do you need?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"I need you to pick some DNA sample from Murdock and his family, then get back here as soon as possible," Rice said, and Victor could hear the smirk through his voice. It made him want to tear the man into pieces. "And Victor, I promise you'll have a chance for pay back when the time is right."

Oh, he definitely would, but he doubted Rice would sound so pleased about it then.

\--

"Elektra," Danny greeted when she stood at his side.

"Daniel," she replied in an overly accented voice, making Danny scowl.

"Okay, let's start from the beginning." Luke said, interrupting Danny before he could reply. "What's all this about a continuation of Project X, and why are we only hearing about it now?"

They were all standing in a circle in Luke's living room. Matt and Elektra were fresh out of the shower, wearing a set of clean clothes and bandages -Karen's handiwork-. Matt pressed his lips together and opened his mouth to reply but Elektra beat him to it.

"It's just what it sounds like. We didn't get rid of everything and now someone is trying to continue it. And you're only hearing about it now, because I didn't need you involved."

"Not this shit again," Jessica complained. "We stopped it. It's over. You have to stop chasing ghosts, honey."

"It's not over," Matt interjected, making everyone look at him with either shock or worry.

"They already have a half finished product," Elektra explained. "We infiltrated Alkali's offices tonight in search for information and we encountered him instead."

"Oh shit," Jessica said, sounding like was done with things before they'd even started.

"Are you sure this wasn't something else?" Luke asked.

"Pretty sure," Matt replied. "This guy had the adamantium claws, the healing, the speed, the strength. He checks all the boxes."

Danny frowned. "I don't get it why would a pharmaceutical get into this?"

"Money," Foggy said as if was the most obvious thing in the world. He sighed and continued when everyone frowned at him. "Karen asked me to look into them, okay? These guys have contracts with the US military for the development of regenerative drugs and technology, which to me sounds like a euphemism for 'we're still doing shady crap behind everyone's back'. They also have connections to the Canadian government and military, especially the CEO Martin Sutter, which corroborates Elektra's story about Canada being involved."

Elektra smirked and made small bow at Foggy. "Thank you, Franklin."

"So the scum is back at experimenting with people," Karen said, her tone dark and dry as she rocked the sleeping Lucas. "I wonder where they're getting their subjects from this time."

"They have facilities in Mexico, use your imagination," Elektra said in an equally dark tone.

"Are we really doing this again?" Jessica asked in disbelief. "Last time didn't end so well for us, you know."

"For once I agree with, Jones." Marci said, from her spot on the sofa at Karen's side. "I would rather not have any of you bleeding on my dining table ever again."

Elektra scoffed. "You don't want to see what would happen if these people manage to replicate Logan's full abilities."

"Logan?" Danny asked.

"The previous experiment," Matt clarified for him.

"For the record, I agree with you. I don't think we should allow these experiments to continue. But what's in for you anyway?" Luke asked Elektra, eyeing her with suspicion. "Is Alkali linked to the Hand too?"

"No, but it doesn't change the fact that this project was started by them," Elektra lowered her head ever so slightly, and whispered in a way only Matt could hear. "Besides…"

Matt cocked his head to the side, curious as to what Elektra meant, but the conversation continued before he could ask her about it.

"So what's the plan? Did you guys learn anything there, or you just got your ass handed by yet another experiment." Jessica gave them an unimpressed look when both Matt and Elektra ducked their heads. "Great, so we got nothing."

"Look, it's late and we're all tired," Karen started. "Why don't we rest and come up with a plan in the morning?"

They stared blankly at Karen before looking at each other. They did look tired and could definitely use the rest.

"Agree," Foggy seconded, as Marci nodded.

"Well, you guys ain't sleeping here," Luke said firmly, arms crossed over his chest.

"No one is sleeping here," Elektra countered. "We need to move somewhere more suited for a fight. It's very likely that the experiment will track us here."

"What!" Luke exclaimed. "You guided that thing to my home?"

"We didn't have much of a choice, Luke," Matt said apologetically. "But Elektra is right. We need to move."

"You better not be dragging me to some shithole warehouse," Marci said, rubbing her forehead with three fingers.

Danny took a step forward. "Don't worry, I got the perfect place."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Defenders assemble!
> 
> I hope you guys liked the rest of the team appearing! There's definitely going to be more interactions between them and Matt next chapter, and Lucas of course (gotta wake up at some point).
> 
> I wonder what Rice is up to. 
> 
> Anyone surprised by the Jessica reveal?
> 
> Also hurray for two chapters in a week!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after isn't all what Matt expected.

Victor could hear Rice's voice the moment stepped out of the elevator. The office building was almost empty so early in the dawning morning, and his voice was carried easily through the silent corridors. The man was in a heated argument with someone on the phone.

"I pay you for delivering the shipment. A shipment that we never received. I see no reason why I should pay for your incompetence. Come asking for your payment when you have something to give me," Rice snapped before ending his call with a curse.

"Trouble in paradise?" Victor asked in amusement, as he entered his employer's office. It was unusual to see anyone breaking the man's composure.

The scientist turned his chair around, an expression of surprise evident on his face. He relaxed in the chair when he realized who it was.

"Victor," he greeted dully before turning back to his desk. "Just some headaches about the stolen shipment. Perhaps I should have you handling the deliveries."

"Perhaps," Victor started. "But then you'll have no one competent guarding this place. Pick your poison."

Rice tsked, seemingly conceding his point. "Did you get the samples?"

"Aye." Victor passed him three small vials with hair. Rice accepted them with an uncharacteristic smile. before proceeding to label each one. "Do you think they'll be of any use? He didn't appear to possess any worthwhile ability."

"I suspect they might be of some use, but don't concern yourself with it. Leave the science to me." Victor suppressed a growl, his earlier annoyance resurfacing at the man's condescending tone. "Was there anything interesting in the apartment?"

"Not really," Victor said, trying to calm his temper as he made his way to the couch. "Wait, no. There was something. The whole place was sound proofed. I could barely detect anything outside the thick walls. Such an odd choice for a costume, you'd think he would want to keep tabs of his surroundings."

Rice laughed, "Fascinating. Thank you Victor."

Victor raised an eyebrow at the man, but didn't comment on it. He'd grown somewhat used to Rice's odd behavior. He really didn't care what he had planned as long as he started producing some long overdue results.

\--

Matt was woken up by a sudden slap on his cheek. The hit made him open his eyes in alarm, which quickly escalated into panic when he didn't recognize his surroundings. He tried to orient himself but the hand was already coming back for a second slap before he could.

He blinked in surprise when he intercepted the hand and it turned out to be soft and small.

"Anana," came the voice of an annoyed Lucas.

Matt sighed in relief and let his head fall back onto the pillow.

They were at one of Danny's safehouses.

"Anana..." Lucas repeated, sounding like he was about to start crying.

"I heard you, Luc," Matt replied, rubbing the boy's back softly before checking on his wife.

Karen was still sleeping, her breathing even and deep. Matt smiled and moved a lock of hair away from her mouth. He resisted the urge to cuddle against her, not quite ready to face the day after a rough night. Gathering all his will power, he got up from the bed reluctantly and picked Lucas up along the way.

"What time is it?" he asked himself with a small frown. It felt like it was early morning. As in too early to be up. He reached for his watch on the nightstand, feeling it for the time.

It was a little past 5am.

He gave Lucas an unimpressed look which the toddler answered with a sneeze and a sad pout. He sounded a little congested. Matt sighed, hoping that didn't mean he was getting sick, and started his walk to the kitchen.

Luke and Danny were the only ones up when they left the bedroom. Danny was sitting on the sofa, head tilted up and eyes closed. They had taken turns to look out for intruders. Danny had the last watch of the night, and was probably close to exhaustion. Luke, who had the first turn, was drinking coffee in the kitchen, yawning every so often.

No one had attacked them during the night, and that made him uneasy. Not that he'd wanted to fight anyone with his wife and son so close, but Matt liked knowing the enemy's next move. The lack of action put them in the dark, and he wasn't sure what game they were playing now.

Lucas' sharp sob interrupted his thoughts.

They'd only stepped outside of the room when Lucas' nose picked up the fading scent of Luke's coffee. He hid his face on Matt's neck and Matt felt his warm tears wet his skin. Shit. He'd been too sleepy to notice the coffee in the air. He rubbed Lucas' back, trying and failing to calm him down. The boy was uncomfortable, hungry and in need of a bath, the coffee was just adding to his distress.

He kissed his son's messy hair, nuzzling it with his nose as he took comfort in the now familiar scent. "Sorry, Luc. It'll be gone soon."

Danny opened his eyes at the sound of Lucas' crying and turned to face them. "Hey bud, what's up with mini me?"

"Coffee," he said, earning a confused look from Danny.

He walked to the fruit bowl and gave Lucas a small piece of a banana, in hopes it would distract him from the smell. It took the toddler a moment to lift his head, but eventually he took the fruit and started eating it. Matt made his way back to Danny and passed Lucas to him, earning an alarmed look from both his son and friend. "Can you hold him for a minute? I need to prepare breakfast."

Danny seemed reluctant and still a little dazzled from sleep. He was usually excited to see Lucas, but the small Murdock had gained a bit of a reputation for being hard to handle. Foggy and Marci were about the only ones who would still offer to babysit when needed. Matt felt just a little bad about asking, but he would definitely feel worse waking up his sleeping wife.

"Uh, sure," he answered, looking down at Lucas, who already had a mean pout and teary eyes.

Matt leaned down and kissed his son softly. "Daddy will be back soon."

"No!" The toddler tried and failed to grab him when he stepped back, and started sobbing right after, much to Danny's distress.

"Do I get some of that breakfast at least?"

"I'll give you all the food you want if you stop him from crying." Danny looked down again, this time with narrowed eyes, as if he was analyzing an enemy. "Unless, you think he's too much for the Immortal Iron Fist."

"You better ready your spatula, Murdock," he replied, making Matt laugh as he walked to the kitchen.

"Good morning," Luke greeted when he entered the kitchen.

"Morning Luke," Matt replied, going directly to the fridge to check Danny's supplies.

"Coffee?"

Matt paused and turned his head towards Luke, considering the offer. He could definitely use a cup, but he'd rather not deal with the consequences of indulging in coffee with his son around. "No, thanks."

Luke nodded and put away the coffee pot. He covered a long yawn with his hand, his eyes watering slightly in the process. He appeared tired, more so than he probably should just after one night of bad sleep. If Matt had to guess he would say Luke hadn't slept much that week. Jessica's scent lingered on his skin and clothes, along with the nauseating smell of vomit.

"Bad morning sickness?" he asked softly, feeling sympathy for the man. He wasn't a stranger to it. Karen had gone through a couple of rough months herself.

Luke froze in place, his eyes wide open in surprise. "How did you?"

"I could hear the heartbeat, and uh… I can smell the vomit on you." Matt shifted nervously on his feet, noticing how each word made his friend more uncomfortable.

This was one of those times when Matt felt like a freak among freaks. After years in the job they were all used to the craziness and oddities of the superpowered world. And yet the intrusiveness of Matt's power never failed to make things awkward. That's why he went along with people's lies more often than not. Sometimes it was better to just let things play naturally.

Right then, as the awkward silence prolonged, Matt wished he had followed his own advice and said nothing to Luke.

"She's having a hard time this month," was Luke's dry reply after a moment.

Matt relaxed a little, relieved Luke hadn't taken the observation too badly. "You should try some ginger tea, it worked really well for us."

Luke gave him a forced smile. "Thanks, we'll check that."

Matt nodded and was about to resume his ingredients search when Luke spoke again.

"Look, we haven't told anyone yet. We would appreciate if you could keep the secret until we're ready."

"Not a single word," Matt said, making a zipping motion over his mouth. It wasn't his business anyway. He'd only meant to help a little with his past experience.

That got a real smile from Luke, who clapped a hand on his back. "Thanks man."

Matt nodded, thinking that was the end of the conversation, but Luke wasn't done yet.

He lowered his voice, this time barely above a whisper. "I don't know how you two do it. You're so chill with the baby's powers. You got it all figured and under control. Then I'm here, scared to death of my kid getting ours. I don't know what to do with a regular baby. What am I supposed to do with a super strong one?"

Matt opened his mouth then closed it. Luke had no idea just how out of control things were. Matt was in fact doing his best NOT to think about Lucas' powers lately. It was all he could do so he wouldn't go crazy thinking about how his son could go blind. But he wasn't about to tell that to Luke. He sounded scared enough already.

"I-We are just making things up as we go, Luke. All we want is to keep him happy."

Luke turned his head to the living room, where Danny had calmed Lucas down. The toddler was giggling in delight as the man showed off his chi infused fingers to him. The warrior touched his index and thumb together to release some energy in a spark, and Lucas let out an overjoyed squeal as he started clapping with his small hands.

"Are you sure that's safe, Danny?" Luke yelled after him.

"He's laughing isn't he?" his friend answered, continuing his show for the kid.

"I guess I'm feeding him too," Matt said in an amused tone. He had underestimated Danny's creativity. He couldn't help but wonder what the K'un-Lun monks would think of Danny using his training that way.

Luke shook his head and chuckled. "If you ask me, you're doing a fine job with him."

The words tugged at Matt's heart. They meant a lot among his current uncertainty. Luke was an honest man, unafraid of speaking his mind. He wouldn't hesitate to tell Matt if he thought he was making a mistake with his son.

Perhaps Matt was just worrying too much.

If Ironman could do fatherhood while fighting aliens, then he could make it work with street tugs.

"Thanks," he said earnestly. "I'm sure you'll do great too."

Luke smiled before opening the pantry. "Come on, let me help you feed those two gluttons."

\--

Breakfast didn't turn out exactly like Matt had expected.

Lucas had decided he liked Danny's glowing hands more than he liked his dad. The little imp was then eating on Danny's lap, only turning to Matt to demand food, before turning back to Danny for more of the show. Matt was just a bit hurt about it. He was glad that Lucas was being more open to other people, but he didn't like the competition for his already limited time with his son.

"Don't you run out of Chi or something?" Luke asked, observing them with an unimpressed face.

"Chi is a form of living energy. You can't just run out of it. But it does require concentration and can be tiring. Maybe I should teach the little one how to do it instead." He bounced the boy, making him giggle. "What do you say, Lucas? Would you like to be the next Immortal Iron Fist?"

Lucas' answer was to grab his fingers and chirp a cheerful "Purp!"

Matt frowned at the word. As far as he knew Danny's first glowed yellow and not purple. It made him wonder if the kid was seeing something the others couldn't. His stomach fluttered with worry as he remembered how little they knew about Lucas' sight.

"Sorry Danny, but you gotta get your own kid for that," Matt replied, bringing his son back to his side.

"No!" Lucas complained, trying to get back to Danny. Matt quickly gave him a piece of his banana and chocolate chip pancakes, in an attempt to distract him. The toddler stopped struggling immediately, concentrating on chewing instead. All three men laughed when the boy swallowed and opened his mouth for more. "Anana."

"I think the pancakes just beat you, Rand," Luke laughed.

"Can't blame him," Danny said, taking a bite of his own breakfast. "You sure you don't want to come work at one of my restaurants?"

Matt hummed as he gave the waiting Lucas another piece of pancake. "Murdock and Cage, ultimate breakfast chefs. It has a nice ring to it, but I'd prefer my current company. No offense, Luke."

"None taken."

Matt stopped laughing and cocked his head to the side when he heard Foggy's door open. His partner hurried to their side with heavy steps, his shoulders tense and his heartbeat frantic. Lucas stopped chewing to look up at his godfather.

"Oggy," he said, raising his arms, but Foggy ignored him. He looked at the three heroes with worry.

"Something wrong councilor?" Luke asked.

"I-" Foggy started, pointing to his phone. "Brett just called. Someone broke into your apartment last night, Matt."

"Oh," was Matt unsurprised reply.

"Oh?" a bewildered Foggy said. "That's all you have to say?"

Matt adjusted his pouting son on his lap, cutting another piece of pancake for him. "I anticipated they might break into our apartment."

"Then why are you so calm? These psychos know who you are!"

Lucas flinched at Foggy's tone, and Matt glared at him. "I know, Foggy. I'm not calm, but we gain nothing from me losing my head."

"Sorry," Foggy said, sounding embarrassed.

Matt immediately felt bad for snapping at him. Foggy was just worried, and he had a right to be. He was, after all, holed up in there thanks to Matt.

"Did Brett say anything?" Luke asked.

"No, not much. Nothing appears to be missing and nothing was forced. He wasn't convinced there had been a break-in at all. Brett only called because you weren't home or picking up the phone."

"That's odd," Danny muttered. "If they found your place, why didn't they follow us here?" That was exactly what Matt had been asking himself. If they had taken the trouble of going all the way to his home why not finish the job and come for them?

"Because they were busy covering their asses." A new voice startled them all.

"Elektra…" Matt hadn't heard her come out of her room, not that it was surprising. Elektra could be incredibly silent when she wanted to, and the lack of heartbeat made it harder to detect her. "What are you talking about?"

She put her cellphone on the table, which Lucas immediately tried to grab. Elektra grabbed his sticky before he could, and gave him a hard look. The toddler pulled back and shrunk against his dad, and Matt chuckled at it. Elektra could be very intimidated.

"There's not a single mention about our break-in, in the papers. But you know what they're talking about? The two Alkali guards that died last night."

"Wait, wait, wait," Luke started. "You killed two guards last night?"

"Of course we didn't." Matt scowled at him. They knew each other well enough that Luke asking that felt like an insult. "What do they say? The papers."

"That two guards had an accident while helping restore power last night."

Matt laughed. "That's bullshit. They were all alive when we left, and the power was restored shortly after."

"Exactly my point. They must have died after the power came back. Maybe they saw or said something they shouldn't have and-"

"And they killed them," Luke finished for Elektra. "That would explain why they didn't report you to the authorities. They wouldn't want the police taking a closer look."

Danny frowned. "That still doesn't explain why they didn't follow us here."

Elektra sighed. "Why would they? We don't have anything that can harm them, and they know who we are and where to find us."

Foggy took a step forward. "So what now? We can't hide here forever."

"Now you use the break-in at Matt's apartment to get yourself some police protection. You go home and enjoy your weekend."

Luke gave her an incredulous look. "Excuse me?"

"Are you trying to bench us?" Danny continued.

"This is not your problem."

Luke stood from his seat and stood in front of Elektra, arms crossed over his chest in an imposing stance. "It is now."

"Guys," Matt started, giving the unhappy Lucas to Foggy so he could mediate the argument. He put a hand on Luke's shoulder and turned to Elektra. "I know this isn't how you wanted things to go, but you came to me for a reason. You're way over your head, and you know it." Matt licked his lips, knowing he would be trying his luck with his next sentence. "Let us help you."

Elektra tightened her jaw, and for a moment Matt thought she would hit him, but then she let out a sigh. "We blew our chance already. By now whatever information we could have gotten there, must be long gone."

"Do you have any other lead?" Foggy asked, while he tried to stop an annoyed Lucas from escaping his grasp.

"If I did, I wouldn't be here now. Would I?"

The door to Luke's and Jess's bedroom suddenly opened. They all turned in time to see Jessica standing on the side with a blank expression and a crazy bed head.

"Whatever is going on here. I don't wanna know," she said after a moment of staring at them.

"Wait, Jess," Luke called after her when his girlfriend hurried to the kitchen. He turned to them and excused himself before following her.

"What about the experiment? Maybe we can set a trap and capture him. You know, get some information old style," Danny commented, apparently deciding to go on without Luke.

Elektra looked at Matt, with what could almost be described. "That sounded less stupid when I said it last night."

Matt chuckled at Elektra's odd way of admitting he had been right to stop her. "He barely flinched when I broke his nose. I don't think this guy will talk." He clarified for the confused Danny. "But… maybe his boss will."

Elektra's frown turned slowly into a smirk. "You want to target the board."

"Wait, are we really talking about kidnapping civilians now?" Foggy asked, just a little alarmed.

"Civilians involved with human experimentation, Foggy. They have it coming," Matt answered.

Foggy sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with the hand that wasn't holding Lucas. "For all of our sake, I really hope this doesn't get out of control. Come on buddy, let's leave the crazy talk and see if your mom is up."

"Mu?" Lucas asked, a little confused.

"That's mom, buddy. Don't even let her hear you calling her moo." Foggy corrected as they walked away. Matt laughed, loving hearing his bestfriend interact with his son.

Do you have anyone particular in mind?" Danny's question brought him back to their conversation.

"Rice," Matt said without a moment of hesitation. He didn't suspect the man of any wrongdoing, but he'd rubbed him wrong during that first meeting. His time in the business had taught Matt to trust his instinct.

"He won't be an easy target. He rarely leaves the office and when he does he's usually with bodyguards," Elektra commented.

"That shouldn't be a problem for the five of us." Danny smirked, turning to the kitchen where Luke and Jess were talking.

\--

"No," was Jessica's immediate answer. "I wasn't kidding when I said I want no part in this."

"But-"

"No buts," she told Danny. "You guys are free to go chasing bad guys. I'm not moving one inch."

Danny looked at Luke who gave him a shrug.

Matt sighed. Jessica would follow if and once she felt like she was needed. It was always the same with her. He was about to tell them to leave her alone when elektra pushed him out of the way.

"You're out of luck," Elektra said, sitting in the chair next to her and putting a pen and paper on the table. "because I need your service."

Jessica raised an eyebrow at her. "What part of leave me out of this didn't you get, honey?"

"Matt and I can't scout Rice, because the experiment has our scent. Now, three can go under his radar and find an opening to get Rice. The problem is, I don't trust that these two won't rush into action unprepared." Elektra wrote down some numbers on the paper and offered it to Jessica. "I want to hire you to get them the information they need to succeed. I think you'll find the compensation generous."

Jessica stared at Elektra unmoving, and Matt got ready to break a fight. The next moment Jessica grabbed the paper, gave it a look, cursed, and stood from her chair.

"We're stopping for real food on the way," she told Luke, passing him the paper.

"Sweet Christmas," her boyfriend said when he took a look, and Matt wondered how much Elektra was blowing on them.

"Who would've thought it was that easy to get her moving," Danny grumbled.

"Danny move your ass!" Jessica yelled.

Danny grimaced and hurried after the couple. "Going!"

Matt chuckled and turned to Elektra. "We should get ready too in case they need backup."

\--

Karen was reading some papers when Matt came out of his shower. Their son was at her side, playing with a plushie half covered in drool. He was dressed in a onesie, a t-shirt and his small cap and shoes. Karen herself was wearing a dress, one of the knee long ones. Matt frowned wondering why they were dressed to go out, but his wife spoke before he could ask.

"Did you two do something after I left you yesterday? Lucas has a big rash in each arm and I can't figure how he got them."

Matt blinked not expecting the question. "Uh, yes. We went to the park for a bit. He might have touched something while we were there."

Karen sighed, and leaned down to kiss the boy's nose. Lucas giggled and let the plushie go in favor of grabbing a handful of his mom's hair. "Nana."

The toddler went into a giggling fit as his mother nuzzled and kissed his tummy. Karen removed his hand from her hair gently, careful not to make the red skin more irritated. "Sometimes I wonder if we should wrap him in bubbles."

"With his record, he'll probably get a rash from that too." Karen let out a dry laugh at the remark and extended a hand towards her husband.

Matt took it, kissing her knuckles while she guided him into a hug, his chest against her back. He pressed a smile against her neck, letting her essence consume his senses. Karen smelled like home even when far from it. He couldn't help the happy sigh that escaped him.

"Are you going somewhere?"

He felt Karen go rigid under him. "We're meeting Bruce at noon. Did you forget?"

And he had indeed forgotten about that. Not that anyone could blame him about it. The last 24 hours had been a bit too much. Although a part of him had probably wanted to forget it. Right now Bruce Banner was a reminder of everything that was wrong with Lucas. "I don't think it's wise to go out. They're probably keeping an eye on us."

"Are you saying we'll be safer here than with the Avengers?" Karen asked with a raised eyebrow.

Matt opened his mouth just lightly before closing it again. As much as he hated to admit it, she had a point. "Are you sure you want to do this? We can think of something else."

"Matt," Karen warned. Then she dropped her gaze to Lucas, who looked up and smiled. "I'm sick of being worried. I'm sick of not knowing what to expect. I _need_ answers, Matt."

It was hard for him to put himself on Karen's shoes. He'd gotten this powers at an age when learning how to use them had been infinitely more important than learning how they worked. Even now it was hard to shake off the idea that Lucas would be fine and they just needed to figure out how to train his power. But Karen… all she could do was try to solve the puzzle that was their abilities, and Matt would do anything to help her.

All for the sake of her and Lucas' happiness.

Matt kissed her forehead softly. "Then we meet him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay with this chapter. I had to split it in two and it's still on the "a bit too long" side. But it's out! And now we're meeting Bruce. :D
> 
> Anyway, I really hope you're still enjoying this story. We're fast approaching the last part of it and I can't wait to show it to y'all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt meets Bruce.

It might be her plan, but Karen didn't know what to expect from it. Like her husband, she was weary of meeting Bruce, and of his reasons for offering his help. She had a few theories about what he might be after, but she wasn't very confident about any of them. It was a bizarre situation, and it was honestly throwing her a bit off her game.

However, it was the answers he might have for them that kept her awake last night. She'd tried to distract herself reading the police report about Frank's case, but as she'd feared there wasn't anything particularly interesting there. It had taken no time for her to grow bored and stare at the ceiling, going over all the possible health issues Lucas could have. Then, she'd received Matt's call, and well… the issue was postponed.

Karen wasn't feeling any more confident that morning than she had the previous night. On the contrary, it was worse now that they had the new experiment to worry about. As the minutes passed, she grew more and more restless. If she was being honest she was second guessing herself. There was a voice in her head, which sounded suspiciously like her father, reminding her how she usually just made things worse.

That's what you do, Karen.

His words still clung to her, even after all these years. It was inevitable. Somewhere deep inside her, she knew he was right. Everything she touched died, and one day that too would reach her family.

"Matt, do you know where his blanket is? I can't find the stupid thing," Karen asked, just a little irritated as she moved the covers from their -temporary- bed to search for it.

Matt laughed and stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. Karen turned at him with a questioning look, and he nodded down to Lucas, who he was carrying. Her cheeks flared up when she realized Lucas was already wrapped up in his silk blanket.

"Relax." Matt kissed her forehead. "It'll be fine. I promise."

Karen stared at him for a moment, looking for fear or doubt in his face. He'd been so adamant before, and as reassuring as she found his words, she didn't want him lying to make her feel better. She wanted him to tell her if he really thought her plan wasn't worth the risk. If Matt was worried he hid it well.

"Pak?" Lucas' question interrupted her thoughts.

Matt chuckled, and petted the boy's head softly. Lucas bounced happily in his dad's arms in reply, probably assuming the gesture was a yes. "We should go, before we're late."

Karen bit her lip nervously, not feeling ready to go out, but nodded nonetheless. The corner of her husband's mouth turned into a sad knowing smile. He leaned forward for a short kiss, one Karen wished had been longer, before grabbing the baby's bag from the bed.

She sighed.

No turning back then...

Foggy was on the dining room having breakfast with Marci. The couple was chatting cheerfully, or rather Foggy was chatting while Marci drank her coffee and read some papers. She was always so focused and work driven. A total opposite of Foggy's relaxed nature. It still puzzled Karen how they managed to work so well together. Matt and her didn't always see eye to eye, but they definitely were on the same page most of the time.

Foggy beamed when he noticed them approaching, and immediately snatched the happy Lucas from his father's arms.

"Where's my precious baby!" Foggy said as he tossed Lucas up in the air. Marci looked up from her papers at the sound of the toddler's happy laughed, and her frown slowly relaxed into a smile.

"Isn't it a bit early for work?" Karen asked her, nodding towards the pile of papers.

"Well, our friend the vigilante decided I couldn't go to court today, and I had to take on some extra paperwork for the favor," Marci grumped, and Matt ducked his head a little in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry to have dragged you into this. But it really is for the best."

"I hear you. I might not like it, but I do trust you wouldn't do it without a good reason."

Karen smiled at her words.

Marci hadn't been too impressed when she'd discovered Matt's secret. She'd already suspected he was Daredevil, but the confirmation hadn't settled well anyway. For close to a month they'd all feared things were done between her and Foggy, less than a year after getting married.

She'd surprised them all when she'd -eventually- agreed to keep the secret, as long as she wasn't dragged into things. Hearing her say she trusted Matt was something Karen would've never imagined five years ago. They had really come a long way with her, and she suspected a lot of it had to do with Lucas.

"Where's Elektra?" Matt asked, cocking his head to the side as if to listen for the small ninja.

"The gym," Foggy answered while he played with Lucas. "She's still all pissed and moody."

"I really don't know why you keep up with her," Marci commented, going back to her papers. "I thought she was trouble back in college, and I still think she is."

Matt suddenly got that expression that meant he was lost in thought. Karen had wondered that too at first, when she had realized the toxicity their relationship was marred with. Matt had never been able to give her a straight convincing answer, but she'd eventually realized he probably just loved her too much to let go.

It stung sometimes, but she'd needed to accept that as a part of his whole. Matt was who he was for his ability to love so deeply. She wouldn't have married him if she couldn't handle the self-sacrificing part of it.

"She isn't the same as she was back them," he finally answered, taking Lucas from Foggy. The toddler protested at first, too entertained to want to let go. He only stopped resisting when Matt whispered something only he could hear, which Karen was almost sure was "Park."

"Wait, are you guys going somewhere?" Foggy asked with wide eyes, just noticing the baby bag on Matt's hand.

"Ah, yes. We, uh..." Matt turned to Karen a bit lost for words. They hadn't really discussed whether to tell anyone about Lucas' eyes.

It wasn't like they actively tried to hide stuff from Foggy, but they also didn't like worrying him. He hadn't taken Lucas first month well. None of them had. Everyone had thrown the towel on the newborn and braced for the imminent passing -everyone except for Matt-. Those horrifying first days were long gone, but they'd left a mark. Foggy wasn't the exception. He still got fidgety any time Lucas and doctor was mentioned in the same sentence.

"We have a, um, doctor's appointment," she finished and almost facepalmed. She could tell by the way Matt shifted that he wanted to do the same.

Really Karen? She could almost hear him say.

"Is something wrong?" Foggy asked with a frown, starting to look concerned.

"No," Matt said quickly.

"It's just a check-up for, um, stuff," she explained, or rather failed to explain, judging by the way Foggy's face turned from concern to suspicion.

"Are you guys trying again?" Marci, who had been just staring with an amused expression, asked casually.

Matt coughed at her side, making Lucas look up at him in confusion. "It's definitely not that."

"It's just a regular check-up," she insisted, her cheeks flaring up in embarrassment. Of all the things, Marci had to jump to THAT conclusion.

Foggy looked from one to the other with narrowed eyes, and then smiled mischievously.

"Sure. We won't hold you any longer then. Go have fun with your check up."

Matt shook his head, looking ready to continue arguing, but Karen grabbed his arm quickly and dragged him away. At least Marci's silly question had given them an opening to escape. "We'll see you guys later. Don't forget to call us if anything happens. Bye!"

Karen let out a sigh once they were outside, before turning to her husband with a shy smile. Matt looked a bit baffled, as he held the still excited Lucas.

"You're the one letting Foggy know there's no new baby on the way," Matt said, trying to sound serious but ending up looking flustered and cute.

Karen giggled and rested her head on his shoulder. "He'll notice eventually." She was about to kiss his cheek when a small hand got in her way.

"Pak!" Lucas shouted, not happy that his trip was being delayed by the adults chitchatting.

"Such a persistent boy," she said kissing him instead. The toddler laughed in delight, and Karen tickled him, wanting nothing more than to enjoy his laughter for a bit longer. He was such a cheerful boy right now. So carefree and quick to smile and give others joy. The selfish side of her wished she could stop time, only so that she could preserve her sweet and innocent boy forever. Untouched by whatever hardship life would inevitably bring him.

Matt chuckled at them, and leaned down to claim the kiss Lucas had denied him. Karen was so scared of Lucas' future. She was also sure she would ruin everything someday. But at that moment, with her husband's warm lips against hers, it was hard to let her thoughts weight her. If there was anything she had faith in, it was Matt.

"Come on," she said, tugging his hand so she could guide him to their car. He didn't budge, instead he looked down at Lucas with a strange and guarded expression.

"Or you know… we could always have another," he whispered so softly that Karen thought she'd imagined it for a second.

The suggestion froze her in place. He couldn't really mean it. Not after everything they had gone through with Lucas. But when Matt stepped back, looking like he'd just made a big mistake, she knew he'd meant it.

"Matt…"

"We don't, we don't have to talk about it now." He sounded hurt, in a way she'd rarely heard from him. He put on his glasses and forced a smile. "Let's go before he starts demanding bananas too."

The joke fell flat and his smile died down. She almost reached for him when he walked past her with their giggling son and a sullen face, but she clenched her fist to stop herself. There wasn't much she could say at the moment to make things better. She couldn't give him what we wanted, and she couldn't ask him to stop wanting it.

Karen bit her lower lip and swallowed her anguish.

\--

He was an idiot.

He knew that they weren't ready, that Karen was still struggling with Lucas, and he still had gone and suggested that they had another kid. He'd known this would happen. Of course Karen didn't want more kids. How could she after all they'd gone through with Lucas? He was the insane one willing to go through hell time and again -as he proved every night-. He shouldn't have gotten carried away by Foggy's enthusiasm.

Now he couldn't even face his wife properly.

They'd left each other with an awkward goodbye, not even a proper one, just a "Take care". He'd wanted to hug her, in case things went south -as they could always go-, but he hadn't been sure she would welcome it. So he'd kissed their sleeping son a last time, and left for the park with a bucket full of regrets.

It wasn't hard to pinpoint Banner, once there. The moment he'd focused on the Park he'd been able to tell him apart from the rest. The man had a very particular smell. His skin tasted of a faint scent of heavy metal and something else Matt couldn't quite place, like a mixture of the fear of a prey and the excitement of a predator.

Matt hid between a line of trees while he inspected the man. Banner was sitting alone on a bench, feeding the pigeons of all things. As if the idea of the Hulk lurking the internet hadn't been bizarre enough. He wasn't hiding anything hidden under his clothes. No weapon. No electronics. It was all plain fabric and skin.

Matt switched his focus to his surroundings, searching for anyone who could be tagging along. No one else in the perimeter seemed suspicious either. If the man was planning to ambush him, he was doing so alone. Not that this fact made Matt feel safer.

The Hulk was enough to be scared.

"Did you find him?" He heard Karen ask through the comm he'd given her.

"Yeah. He's on a bench, um, feeding the pigeons."

"You're kidding," Karen laughed, and Matt could hear her biting her lower lip in amusement. It was one of those little habits that Matt found absolutely adorable and irresistible. Any time he caught her doing it, he would kiss her or run his thumb over the soft lip. Just the thought made his stomach twist with want.

He cleared his throat and adjusted his hoodie, willing himself to focus back on the mission. "I'll make contact,"

Karen replied with a small "Be careful" that made him smile.

Banner didn't move when Matt sat beside him. The man didn't appear to be aware of his surroundings, at all. He just continued feeding the birds with a relaxed expression on his face. To anyone else he'd look like a simple man enjoying an afternoon break, nothing more, nothing less. Matt had to wonder what kind of person he was about to face.

"Doctor Banner." The mention of his name made him jump a little, and Matt had to stop him from turning around to look at him. "Eyes to the front, Doctor."

The man straightened, and grabbed another handful of bread for the pigeons.

 

"Mr. Murdock, right?" His tone was soft and calm, he didn't not sound worried at all. "I'm glad you're here. I was running out of bread, I fear." He laughed. "I guess you have some questions since you're here alone, but would you mind if we get some tacos first?" he asked, pointing to a food truck at the edge of the park. "I haven't had lunch and I'm famished."

Matt let out an incredulous "Excuse me?" at the same time his wife made a confused noise over the comm.

"That's a no then." He sighed in disappointment, before popping a piece of bread into his mouth. "So what did you want to ask me?"

Matt couldn't believe the guy. He hadn't known what to expect, but this relaxed -almost nonchalant- person was certainly not it.

He cleared his throat, trying to find his footing again. "You're right, I have some questions. Excuse my boldness, but what is the Hulk doing lurking the internet?"

"Bruce," he corrected. "We're not the same person, not really. So that would be Bruce Banner lurking the internet." Matt blinked not sure what to say to that. "Anyway, I have a few reasons for that. We're a small community Mr. Murdock."

"We?"

"Our kind. Mutates, metahumans, mutants, superpowered people, whatever you want to call it. We're an oddity, and as a scientist I'm inclined to research such things."

"And that lead him to some shady internet forum?" Karen asked between amusement and suspicion. Matt coughed to cover a smile. Karen sure wasn't helping him concentrate.

"So you're here out of curiosity?"

"For one part, yes. You see Matt, can I call you Matt?" He didn't stop to let Matt reply. "I'm not the only one interested in our kind. Odd things will always attract the curious, and the nature of our situation makes information scarce and controlled. It's only natural that people will look for answers in unusual places. That you're here is proof of that. But there's always the risk you'll find someone not as noble lurking around. So to answer your question: I was there because I wanted to find you first."

There was nothing in his body that spoke of deception. His heartbeat and posture remained steady and relaxed. Matt leaned forward, and took a second to digest the information. "And what do you gain from it?"

"Information," he replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "There aren't many of us willing to cooperate, and you can't research without a subject."

Matt's vision turned red the moment the words left banner, and he'd to stop himself from punching the other man.

This person, who was a so called hero, wanted to make a lab rat of their son. Of their sweet baby boy who only knew a handful of words, and was starting to explore the world. It shouldn't have surprised him like it did. He knew coming in that Banner had his own agenda. Still, it made him furious just to imagine Lucas bring prodded and observed like some kind of exotic animal.

Matt knew the feeling from back when he'd first become blind. His days in the hospital have been absolute hell, even with his father's support. His experience back then had played a big part in his decision to hide his new abilities. The last thing he'd wanted was for people to treat him differently or be scared.

Seeing Lucas going through the same, during his first month of life, had only cemented his own hate for it all.

"My kid isn't some test subject," he growled, already standing up to leave.

"Matt," Karen said in a mixture of surprise and panic.

Bruce grabbed his arm firmly before he could go anywhere.

"Sorry... that was very insensitive of me," he admitted, and Matt stopped taken aback by the sincerity of his words. "I want to help your family. I really do. But I'm a scientist not an exorcist. I need to study you to be able to help. Yes, that means being intrusive, and yes, I'll gain knowledge that I'll use elsewhere. But that's what science is about, Mr. Murdock."

"Hey, we can always say no to anything that seems too much," Karen added in a hopeful tone.

He was worried that no wouldn't be an option for them later on. He still didn't trust Banner, and he sure as hell couldn't take on the Hulk plus whoever was helping him. Still, they were right. He would need to compromise to some tests and prodding if he wanted to make sure Lucas was fine.

But...

"Let's say I agree. What stops others from using the knowledge you gain from us as a weapon?"

The expression on Bruce's face sobered, and the scent of metal suddenly thickened, making Matt almost gag. His mind screamed to run, but every cell in his body was paralyzed with fear.

"Like the experiments that created your friends Jones and Cage?" The question surprised Matt. He'd suspected, from Karen's word, that Banner knew a bit about them, but not this much. Was this his way of telling him he couldn't escape, that their only option was to play nice?

Matt was fighting his body to run away, when Bruce let go of his arm and slumped forward. Just like that the scent was gone as sudden as it came.

"The truth is… you can't stop people from weaponizing knowledge. They'll find a way no matter what you try. All we can do is try to be a step ahead of them. THAT is what we're trying to achieve here, Matt. We want the knowledge to help even those affected by it, but we can only do that if people like you cooperate with us."

For a moment the only sounds were that of the people passing by and the song of the cicadas.

Matt sat back down with a sigh of defeat. "Alright,"

Bruce smiled, just as Karen herself let out a relieved sigh. "So what now?" she asked.

"How does this work? Do we make an appointment or something?"

"Technically this is your appointment. We can proceed today if you get your family now. I assume they aren't too far, are they?" Banner finished with a smirk

Matt pressed his lips together into a thin line.

Smart ass...

They had really played by Banner's book.

"Follow me," he said, praying that he was really doing the right thing.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😬 sorry for the delay. I got busy and all.
> 
> This chapter was supposed to be longer and cover the tests, but it was growing too long and I had to cut. The good news is that you won't have to wait too long for the next one. x)
> 
> So... I hope Banner met expectations. I enjoyed having him antagonize Matt a bit.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be posting every other week (unless I find some free time to post earlier). A delay could happen this month as I have a busy schedule.
> 
> I'll try my best regardless.
> 
> As always thanks to everyone following the series. You are my inspiration to write. ❤️


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